O, Love's a bitter thing to bide,
The lad that drees it's to be pitied;
It blinds to a' the warld beside,
And makes a body dilde and ditied;
It lies sae sair at my breast bane,
My heart is melting saft an' safter;
To dee outright I wad be fain,
Wer't no for fear what may be after.
I dinna ken what course to steer,
I'm sae to dool an' daftness driven,
For are so lovely, sweet, and dear,
Sure never breath'd the breeze o' heaven;
O there's a soul beams in her ee,
Ae blink o't maks are's spirit gladder,
And ay the mair she geeks at me,
It pits me aye in love the madder.
Love winna heal, it winna thole,
You canna shun't even when you fear it;
An' O, this sickness o' the soul,
'Tis past the power of man to bear it!
And yet to mak o' her a wife,
I couldna square it wi' my duty,
I'd like to see her a' her life
Remain a virgin in her beauty;
As pure as bonny as she's now,
The walks of human life adorning;
As blithe as bird upon the bough,
As sweet as breeze of summer morning.
Love paints the earth, it paints the sky,
An' tints each lovely hue of Nature,
And makes to the enchanted eye
An angel of a mortal creature.
_Blackwood's Magazine._
* * * * *
Spirit of Discovery.
* * * * *
_Regent's Park_.
It is much to be regretted that those who first designed the plantations
of the Regent's Park seem to have had little or no taste for, or
knowledge of, hardy trees and shrubs; otherwise, this park might have
been the first arboretum in the world. Instead of the (about) 50 sorts
of trees and shrubs which it now exhibits, there might have been all the
3,000 sorts, now so admirably displaying their buds and leaves, and some
of them their flowers, in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges at Hackney.
A walk round that arboretum, at this season, is one of the greatest
treats which a botanist can enjoy, and a drive round the Regent's Park
might have been just as interesting. It is not yet too late to supply
this defect, and the expense to government would be a mere bagatelle.
The Zoological Society in the mean time, might receive contributions
of herbaceous plants, and be at the expense of planting and naming
them.--_London's Mag_.
_Zoological Society_.
A catalogue of the members has been published, which includes 1,291
names, besides corresponding members. The museum in Bruton Street has
received, and is daily receiving, valuable additions, as is the garden
in the Regent's Park. The extent of this garden has been, in consequence
of the various donations and purchases, considerably increased, and
several neat and appropriate structures are now erecting for the abode
of different specimens. It is a gratifying circumstance that these
specimens are, for the most part, clearly and distinctly named, with
the native country of the animal added. We could wish to see a greater
variety of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants introduced, and equally
clear names and geographical indications placed at them also. Why
should it not, as far as practicable, be a botanic garden as well
as a zoological garden?--_Ibid_.
_Galvanism_.
Mr. Becquerel has discovered that the temperature of a conducting wire
communicating with the two poles of a pile, increases from each of its
extremities, and constantly reaches its maximum in the middle of the
wire.--_Brewster's Journal._
_Alloyed Iron Plate_.
A manufacture of prepared iron has been practised, and the substance
produced used to a considerable degree in Paris. This has been to
prepare iron in large plates, and other forms, so that it will not rust.
This has been effected by coating it with an alloy of tin and much lead,
so as to form an imitation of tin plate. Trials have been made, and
proved favourable; it resists the action of certain fluids that would
rapidly corrode iron alone; it can be prepared of any size, and at a
low price. Its use in the manufacture of sugarpans and boilers, in the
construction of roofs and gutters, is expected to be very considerable.
--_Bull. d'Encouragement._
_Saline Lake of Loonar in Berar._
This curious lake is contained in a sort of cauldron of rocks amidst
a pleasing landscape, and is of course the object of superstition. The
taste of the water is uncommonly brackish. Mr. Alexander, who describes
it, found by a rough analysis that 100 parts contain
Muriate of Soda 20 parts,
Muriate of Lime 10 parts,
Muriate of Magnesia 6 parts,
The principal purpose to which the sediment of the water is applied is
cleansing the shawls of Cachmere. It is also used as an ingredient in
the alkaline cake of the Musselmans.--_Trans. Lit. Soc. Madras._
* * * * *
The Selector;
AND
LITERARY NOTICES OF
_NEW WORKS_.
* * * * *