LITERARY BONFIRE. In 1782, previous to the sale by auction of the Abbé Needham's library at Bruxelles, the licensers, as usual, went to burn the prohibited books. They destroyed Cudworth's Intellectual System, Priestley's Hartley, a Testament, and many others: but, as a good name is better than a good character, Christianity as old as the Creation, had the luck to escape the flames. ROYAL EARS. The ears of the bat (says a naturalist) appear deaf to the minstrelsy of the palace, whence it sallies at the hour of toil; but alive to the hum of the insect myriads, who people its sweep of flight. How different from those of princes! In describing Vitellius, Tacitus observes: Ita formatis principis auribus, ut aspera que utilia, nec quidquam nisi jucundum et lasurum acciperet. FROM THE PERSIAN OF SADI. She gave me soap In joy I cried: My luck was with the rose to meet. PARISH CLERK. A parish clerk, in the Coteswold part of Gloucestershire, was ordered by the clergyman to give notice to his congregation that there would be no service on the following Sunday. He obeyed in the following manner: 66 As how, this is to ghee nawtis, thut there wool be naw church here tell next zundah." Perceiving he had made a trifling mistake, he added, "naw, nor then nither,-not tell the next zundy ahter." INVENTOR OF THE PLOUGH. "Would you," says a French physician, named Liebault, who lived under Francis I. "render your field fruitful, and make it produce much corn, write the name of Raphael upon the plough the second time you carry it over."-Was the angel Raphael supposed, according to the demonology of that age, to have in vented the plough? ON A GERMAN PROVERB. "Do not sleep upon a grave." This proverb was no doubt invented as a rule of health, as an expedient precaution against pestilent diseases. It is also a good moral maxim, in all its various allegoric applications. 1. Do not neglect to provide for yourself, in expecta For him who lies with a woman in the church For wilful perjury d. 0 10 6 0 10 6 0 10 6 0 9 0 0 9 ด 0 9 For a layman guilty of simony For a priest guilty of that vice For a layman murdering a layman 0 For him that hath killed his father or mother, or wife or sister, or any other kinswoman N. B. But, if the party killed be a priest or clergyman, the murderer is obliged to go to Rome, and visit the apostolic see. For the husband or wife who in the morning find the infant in bed with them dead For a woman with child that, by any medical drink, destroys it in her womb --- For a layman or clergyman that keeps a concubine For him who hath defiled a virgin For him who lies with his mother, sister, godmother, or any kinswoman For a robbery, or setting fire to a house 0 10 7 0 10 098 07 6 0 10 6 090 0 7 6 0 12 0 G 10 6 1 4 0 1 7 -4 Dorat died at the age of 80, in 1588, having been twice married. When he was censured for marrying a beautiful young woman in his old years, he re. plied, "It is better to die by a bright sword than by a rusty one." ORIGINAL POETRY. inspires, Gemm'd with the lustre of unnumber'd fires? The golden ray of rising morn is spread, The prospects soften and the colours warm; Why heaves the heart, why breathes the When Scone's neglected palace-walls are nigh? Work'd by her hands, the mournful tapestries How much the royal suff'rer could excel, Exalted spirits of the wise and brave, What deathless laurels bloom around the grave, The grave where buried valour mould'ring lies, Where Feeling, memory, and mercy sighs! * The first and second parts appeared in pur Magazine for July and August. In the hottest months of summier the snow is to be discerned on the top of the famous mountain of Ben-Lommond Scoe, near Perth, where the ancient kings of Scotland were crown'd. Queen Mary, the royal sufferer, inhabited this palace, which is now occupied by a solitary woman se vane. Among a few curiosities, a specimen of tapestry, a bed, and a few hang. the work of this unfortunate princess, ings, Yes, Feeling 'twas, whose matchless pow'r could breathe Eternal glories on the warrior's wreathe; And saw his idle laurels fade around! In groves of warriore, 'mid the shining In vain repentant cries his ears assail, The tott'ring tow'rs to their foundation quake, In lasting letters is the tale engrav'd, Majestic Shakespeare! over fading time, Thou on Fame's basis unappall'd shalt rise, des! When Heaven made woman to delight man It left its former wonders far behind; skies. Oh! precious gift, oh! rapture doubly dear, true. Behold yon lovely form, whose sparkling eye Might with the bird of Jove's in splendor vie, Whilst niggard Nature acts a step-dame's part, Her charities ne'er known to cheer or aid, eyes, Our hearts they never, never, can surprise- Not such the drops sad Caroline let fall, Who weet in secret, tho' she wept for all; Her eye like light'ning sparkled at the s rain, When music wak'd her soul to pleasing pain, She never heard unmov'd the poor man sigh, Or saw without a tear a sparrow die. "Tis Feeling fires the patriot's soaring soul, When thro' each nerve the flames of rapture Thy glowing ardors when thy whig-wham blaz'd, When thou beheld'st the blood stain'd banner fly, And heard'st the shriek of sinking Liberty! His sole remaining Zelida draw near; Pointed aloft to heav'n, where, thron'd in light, Thy mother's spirit, at the horrid tale, Weeps ev'n in heaven, while all the stars wax pale! Oh that the mighty Genius of the Lake, Would from yon giant rock in lightnings break, Like thunder's voice his stormy mandates pour, On these curs'd sons of rapine, lust, and pride; O'er the land sulphureous vapours cast, Murder in front, Dishonour in the rear. Than all the altars Roman Numa rais'd; Fires, whose pure volumes mounting to the sky, Roll'd incense there of heaven-born Liberty, Her mother view'd her from the cloudy Which, like the Prix, bursting unto day, height, Convulsive sobs like pent-up thunders broke: Bade all the sons of Tamina expire, There is now in America an association of gentlemen called the Tamina club, which took its rise from the circumstance allude i to in the Poem. When America was invaded by the Spaniards, Tamina, rather than be exposed to slavery, with his own hand set fire to his whig-wham or hut, and perished in the mes, Flam'd forth more vig'rous from its sire's decay. THE APES: To keep at a distance her terrible foes But, turning her eyes, her rich bag to explore, From her bag of dear walnuts, she levell'd her Every walnut was lost in defending the store. Oh! war-waging Britain! protectress of blows; A long, long, and wearisome war she main tain'd, And, thankful to Fortune, the victory gain'd. TH PROCEEDINGS OF PUBLIC SOCIETIES. THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, HIS Society has just published the Second Part of the Philosophical Transactions for 1812; containing the following papers: 1. Observations of a second Comet, with Remarks on its Construction; by William Herschel, LL.D. 2. Additional Experiments on the Muriatic and Oxymuriatic Acids; by William Henry, MD. 3. Of the Attraction of such Solids as are terminated by Planes; and of Solids of greatest Attraction; by Thomas Knight, esq. 4. Of the Penetration of a Hemisphere by an indefinite Number of equal and similar Cylinders, by Thomas Knight, esq. 5. On the Motions of the Tendrils of Plants; by Thomas Andrew Knight, esq. 6. Observations on the Measurement of three Degrees of the Meridian conducted in England by Lieut.-col. William Mudge. 7. An Account of some Experiments on different Combinations of Fluoric Acid; by John Davy, esq. 3. On a Periscopic Camera Obscura and Microscope; by William Hyde Wollaston, M.D. 9. Further Experiments and Observations on the Influence of the Brain on the Gene ration of Animal Heat; by B. C. Brodie, esq 10. On the different Structures and Situations of the Solvent Glands in the digestive Organs of Birds, according to the Nature of their Food and particular Modes of Life; by Everard Home, esq. 11. On some Combinations of Phosphorus and Sulphur, and on some other Subjects of Chemical Inquiry; by Sir Humphrey Davy. From the above, we have, in the present Number, selected the paper on the Motions of the Tendrils of Plants, by THOMAS ANDREW KNIGHT, Esq. F.R.S. The motions of the tendrils of plants, and the efforts they apparently make to approach and attach themselves to contiguous objects, have been supposed by many naturalists to originate in some degrees of sensation and perception: and Though other naturalists have rejected this hypothesis, few or no experiments have been made by them to ascertain with what proptiety the various motions of tendrils, of different kinds, can be at. tributed to peculiarity of organization, and the operation of external causes. I was consequently induced, during the last summer, to employ a considerable portion of time to watch the motions of the tendrils of different species of plants; and I have now the pleasure to address to you an account of the observations I was enabled to make. The plants selected were the Virginia creeper (the ampelopsis quinquefolia of Michaux), the ivy, and the cominon vine and pea. A plant of the ampelopsis, which grew in a garden pot, was removed to a forcing house in the end of May, and a single shoot from it was made to grow perpendicularly upwards, by being sup ported in that position by a very slender bar of wood, to which it was bound. The plant was placed in the middle of the house, and was fully exposed to the sun; and every object around it was re moved far beyond the reach of its tendrils. Thus circumstanced, its tendrils, as soon as they were nearly full grown, all pointed towards the north, or back wall, which was distant about eight feet: but, not meeting with any thing in that direction, to which they could attach themselves, they declined gradually towards the ground, and ultimately attached themselves to the stem beneath, and the slender bar of wood. A plant of the same species was placed at the east end of the house, near the glass, and was in some measure skreened from the perpendicular light; when its tendrils pointed towards the west, or centre of the house, as those under the preceding circumstances had pointed to. wards the north and back wall. This plant was removed to the west end of the house, and exposed to the evening sun, being skreened, as in the preceding case, from the perpendicular light; and its tendrils, within a few hours, changed their direction, and again pointed to the centre of the house, which was partially covered with vines. This plant was then removed to the centre of the house, and fully exposed to the perpendicular M. Decandole, I believe, first observed that the succulent shoots of trees and herbaceous plants, which do not depend upon others for support, are bent towards the point from which they receive light, by the contraction of the cellular substance of their bark, upou that side, and I believe his opinion to bẹ perfectly well founded. The operation of light upon the tendrils and stems of the ampelopsis and ivy appears to produce diametrically opposite effects, and light, and to the sun; and a piece of to press against the opake bodies, which dark-coloured paper was placed upon nature intended to support and protect one side of it, just within the reach of them. its tendrils; and to this, substance they soon appeared to be strongly attracted. The paper was then placed upon the opposite side, under similar circumstances, and there it was soon followed by the tendrils. It was then removed, and a piece of plate glass was substituted; but to this substance the tendrils did not indicate any disposition to approach. The position of the glass was then changed, and care was taken to adjust its surface to the varying position of the sun, so that the light reflected might continue to strike the tendrils; which then receded from the glass, and appeared to be strongly repulsed by it. The tendrils of the ampelopsis very closely resemble those of the vine, in their internal organization, and in originating from the alburnous substance of the plant; and in being, under certain circumstances, convertible into fruit stalks. The claws or claspers of the ivy, to experiments upon which I shall now proceed, appear to be cortical protrusions only; but to be capable (I have reason to believe) of becoming perfect roots, under favourable circumstances. Experiments in every respect very nearly similar to the preceding, were inade upon this plant; but I found it necessary to place the different substances, to which I proposed that the claws should attempt to attach themselves, almost in contact with the stems of the plants. I observed that the claws of this plant evaded the light, just as the tendrils of the ampedopsis had done; and that they sprang only from such parts of the stems as were fully, or partially, shaded. A seedling plant of the peach-tree, and one of the ampelopsis and ivy, were placed nearly in the centre of the house, and under similar circumstances; except that supports, formed of very siender bars of wood, about four inches high, were applied to the ampelopsis and ivy. The peach-tree continued to grow nearly perpendicularly, with a slight inclination towards the front and south side of the house, whilst the stems of the ampelop sis and ivy, as soon as they exceeded the height of their supports, inclined many points from the perpendicular line, in the opposite direction. It appears, therefore, that not only the tendrils and claws of these creeping de pendent plants, but that their stems also, are made to recede from light, and to occasion an extension of the cellular bark, wherever that is exposed to its influence; and this circumstance affords, I think, a satisfactory explanation why these plants appear to seek and approach contiguous opake objects, just as they would do, if they were conscious of their own feebleness, and of power in the ob. jects, to which they approach, to afford them support and protection. The tendril of the vine, as I have already stated, is internally similar to that of the ampelopsis, though its external form, and mode of attaching itself, by twining round any slender body, are very different. Some young plants of this species, which had been raised in pots in the preceding year, and had been headed down to a single bud, were placed in a forcing-house, with the plants I have already nuentioned; and the shoots from these were bound to siender bars of wood, and trained perpendiculariy upwards. Their tendrils, like those of the ampelopsis, when first emitted, pointed upwards; but they gradually formed an increasing angle with the stems, and ultimately pointed perpendicularly downwards; no object having presented itself to which they could attach themselves. Other plants of the vine, under similar circumstances, were trained horizontally; when their tendrils gradually descended beneath their stems, with which they ultimately stood very nearly at right angles. A third set of plants were trained almost perpendicularly downwards, but with an inclination of a few degrees towards the north; and the tendrils of these permanently retained very nearly their first position, relatively to their stems; whence it appears that these organs, like the tendrils of the ampelopsis, and the claws of the ivy, are to a great extent under the controul of light. A few other plants of the same species |