well embodied their existence, we shall turn our attention to "the stately trees," and endeavour to ascertain, and to point out, to such of our readers as may be desirous to acquire some knowledge of their varieties and character, with reference to their appearance and effect in landscape, the most striking peculiarities in each species, and the mode best adapt ed for their delineation. And there it may be well observed, that no set of rules or examples, drawn from other men's labours, will be sufficient to form an original landscape painter; we can only put the proper implements into the hands of the student, form in him a habit of accurate perception, and introduce him to the objects best adapted for his pencil it is for him to find his own path for the future, and penetrate into the solitudes and the recesses of the forest, where every thing will be congenial to his pursuit, and where he will not have to complain in the elegant language of Quintilian,"Quare silvarum amoenitas, et præter labentia flumina, et inspirantes ramis arborum auræ, volucrumque cantus et ipsa late circumspiciendi libertas, ad se trahunt; ut mihi remittere potius voluptas ista videatur cogitationem, quam intendere." "Wherefore the sweet tranquillity of the woods, the liquid lapse of murmuring streams,' the soft whisperings of the summer air amid the boughs, the melodies of birds, and the unrestrained freedom that the eye enjoys, all attract the mind to themselves, so that these delights appear to me rather to interrupt than to promote our meditations."

European trees may, by the painter, be divided into four classes: the roundtopped, as the oak, chesnut, elm, willow, ash, beech, &c.; the spiry-topped, as the different species of the fir-tribe; the shaggy topped, comprehending those of the pine; and the slender-formed, as the Lombardy-poplar and the cypress. In the first of these classes, foremost in dig nity and grandeur, the oak stands preeminent, and like the lion among beasts, is the undoubted lord of the forest. Beauty, united with strength, characterises all its parts. The leaves, elegant in their outline, are strongly ribbed, and firmly attached to the spray, which, although, slim and excursive, is yet bold, and determined in its angles, whilst the abrupt and tortuous irregularity of its massive branches, admirably contrasts with the general richness and density of its clustered foliage. Even as a sapling, in its slender gracefulness, it exhibits sufficient firmness and indications of vigour, to predicate the future monarch of the wood; a state, indeed, which it is slow to assume, but which it retains per

sæcula longa, and, when, at length, it is brought to acknowledge the influence of time, and becomes bald with dry antiquity," no other production of the forest can be admitted as its rival in majestic and venerable decay. The general form of the oak is expansive, luxuriant, and spreading. Its character, both with respect to its whole, and to its larger masses of foliage, is best expressed by the pencil in bold and roundish lines, whether as single trees, as groups, or as forming the line of a distant forest: although when growing more closely together, they assume a loftier and less spreading appearance than the more solitary tree, such as Mason has so beautifully described in his Caractacus:

But whilst, as an entire object, these curved lines are sufficient to express the general peculiarity of its outline, as well as the larger masses of its foliage, when we come to examine the oak more closely and in detail, we find that a greater variety of line must be adopted to display its singular proportions, so indicative of energy and boldness. The trunk and limbs are characterised by their amazing strength, and by their comparative shortness and crookedness; and the branches by their numerous contortions and abrupt angles, and by the great variety which they exhibit of straight and of crooked lines, and by their frequent tendency to a horizontal direction.

Not unfrequently, however, the forms of the limbs and branches are entirely concealed by the exuberancy of foliage, as is the case in the Bounds-Park oak, and more particularly in that magnificent living canopy,―nulli penetrabilis astro, impervious to the day,-(fully described in the Sylva Britannica,) the Chandos oak at Southgate, which, although not exactly a painter's tree, is unquestionably unrivalled for regular beauty and plentitude of shade. The oak, also, is occasionally found to present an extremely graceful and pleasing figure, as is remarkably the case with the celebrated oak at Lord Cowper's. This tree, above a century ago, was well known as the great oak at Panshanger.

There is also a beautiful tree of the same description, at Lord Darnley's seat at Cobham, which, being protected from the depredations of cattle, enjoys the most perfect freedom of growth, extending its latitude of boughs" in every direction, and drooping its clustered foliage to the very ground.

DATE. DAYS.

DIARY,

DATE.

CORRESPONDING CHRONOLOGY.

talicia, died A.

D. 1587.

Moon's first quar.

11 af. 11 night.

22 Thurs. St. Yvo died 1303 High Water,

42m af. 7 morn 9m af. 8 even

23 Frid. St. Desiderius.

Sun ris. 3m af. 4 sets-59m af. 7

24 Satur. St. Vincent of Le

rius died A. D.

450.

High Water,

37m af. 9 morn 8m af. 10 even

25 SUN. Whit Sunday. LES. for the DAY. 16 c. Deut. to v.

18 morn.

11 c. Isaiah even St. Gregory VII. Sun ris. Om af, 4

-sets Om af. 8

-26 Mond. St. Eleutherius: St. Austin, the English Apostle archbp of Canterbury, died AD 610. Whit Monday. High Water, 11h- -39m morn

even

between the allied powers and the French, under Napoleon, when the allied powers were forced from all their positions, leaving the French masters of the field. The loss of the French in this conflict was 12,000 men, and the allies had, it is said, 18000 in wounded only. -22 1770. Born the King's sister, the Princess Elizabeth, wife of the Prince of Hesse Homburg. 1784. Died the Earl of Mornington, father of his Grace the Duke of Wellington. He was one of the most celebrated glee composers of his time, as well as an excellent violin player. The service in Dublin Cathedral commences every morn ing with an anthem of his composing. 1824. Expired at his lodgings in London, Dr. Joseph Kemp, composer, once the pupil of the celebrated Mr. Jackson, of Exeter. He was the author of a new System of Musical Education. St. Desiderius was bishop of Venice, and died A. D. 612.

23

1706. The battle of Ramilies, a village in Brabant, fought, when the great Duke of Marlborough gained a complete victory over the forces of Louis XIV., and the Elector of Bavaria, who narrowly escaped being made prisoner.

241689. The royal assent was given on this day to

the Toleration Act.

1707. Born at Roeshult, in Sweden, the eminent naturalist, Charles von Linnæus. He was the founder and first president of the academy of Stockholm. Under his culture natural history raised itself nearly to perfection, and has from thence disseminated throughout Europe. 25 On this day is celebrated the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, in the visible appearance of fiery cloven tongues, and in those miraculous powers which were then conferred upon them. On Whit or White Sunday the catechumens who were then baptized, appeared in the antient church in white garments.

St. Gregory VII succeeded Alexander VII in the papacy A. D. 1079. He was advanced by the suffrages of the Cardinals without the Emperor's authority. When the Emperor Henry IV, to whom he was an inveterate enemy took the city of Rome, and set up Clement III, Gregory fled to Salerna, and there died after having sat more than 12 years.

1764. Born at Epping in Essex, Dr. John Mason Good, the translator of Lucretius. He was author of numerous works, among which may be named his valuable Physiological System of Nosology, and the Study of Medicine, which works are considered far superior to any that have preceded them, for elegance of composition, and the vast fund they contain of practical information. 26 St. Eleutherius Pope, succeeded Soter, in the reign of Commodus, during his pontificate, Lucius King of Britain sent to him to be admitted into the number of Christians, who thereupon sent Fugatius and Damianus to baptize the people of Britain. He died A. D. 192.

946. On this day while King Edmund brother of Athelstan, was celebrating the feast of St. An gustine, he observed among the intoxicated guests one Leolf whom he had banished six years before for robbery. The King jumped from his seat, seized the man by the hair, and pulled him with himself to the ground. The robber drew his dagger, and in this situation mortally wounded the unhappy monarch in the breast. After having wounded some of the attendants, he was cut to death by others.

910

ILLUSTRATED ARTICLE.

FROM THE CHRONICLES OF THE
CANONGATE.

IN the extracts we gave in our last from this admirable work, the following incident was only alluded to: the passage was reserved for illustration, and both are now given.

The Glover, who seems to doat on the pugnacious propensities of Harry Smith, has just drawn from him the history of all his rencontres with all sorts and conditions of men; and as soon as the roll is counted, exclaims "Pretty well, for the quietest lad in Perth, who never touches sword but in the way of his profession!-Well, anything more to tell us?' Little-for the drubbing of a Highlandman is a thing not worth mentioning.'

See Page 322.

"Well, here is to thee, and thou art welcome to me after all these exploits.Conachar, bestir thee. Let the cans clink, lad, and thou shalt have a cup of the nut-brown for thyself, my boy.'

"Conachar poured out the good liquor for his master and for Catharine, with due observance. But that done, he set the flagon on the table, and sate down.

"How now, sirrah!-be these your manners? Fill to my guest, the worshipful Master Henry Smith."

Master Smith may fill for himself, if he wishes for liquor,' answered the youthful Celt. "The son of my father has demeaned himself enough already for one evening.'

"That's well crowed for a cockeril,' said Henry; 66 but thou art so far right, my lad, that the man deserves to die of thirst who will not drink without a cupbearer.'

Y

21-SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1828.

him with liquor from that cup and flagon, if thee and I are to abide under one roof.'

"Conachar arose sullenly upon hear ing this threat, and, approaching the Smith, who had just taken the tankard in his hand, and was raising it to his head, he contrived to stumble against him and jostle him so awkwardly, that the foaming ale gushed over his face, person, and dress. Good-natured as the Smith, in spite of his warlike propensities, really was in the utmost degree, his patience failed under such fa provocation. He seized the young man's throat, being the part which came readiest to his grasp, as Conachar arose from the pretended stumble, and pressing it severely as he cast the lad from him, exclaimed,"Had this been in another place, young gallows-bird, I had stowed the lugs out of thy head, as I have done to some of thy clan before thee.'

"Conachar recovered his feet with the activity of a tiger, and exclaiming, "Never shall you live to make that boast again!' drew a short sharp knife from his bosom, and springing on Henry

Smith, attempted to plunge it into his body over the collar bone, which must have been a mortal wound. But the object of this violence was so ready to defend himself by striking up the assailant's hand, that the blow only glanced on the bone, and scarce drew blood. To wrench the dagger from the boy's hand, and to secure him with a grasp like that of his own iron vice, was, for the powerful Smith, the work of a single moment Conachar felf himself at once in the absolute power of the formidable antagonist whom he had provoked; he became deadly pale, as he had been the moment before glowing red, and stood mute with shame and fear, until, relieving him from his powerful hold, the Smith quietly said, "It is well for thee that thou canst not make me angry-thou art but a boy, and I, a grown man, ought not to have provoked thee. But let this be a warning.'

"Conachar stood an instant as if about to reply, and then left the room, ere Simon had collected himself enough to speak. Dorothy was running hither and thither for salves and healing herbs. Catharine