Norwich about the commencement of the eighteenth
century, was bound apprentice to a tailor^ wi& whom
he served seven years, and afterwards worked as a
journeyman for the same period. During ttiis time« he
taught himself Hebrew., and by dint of continual ap-
plication^ and almost unparalleled industry, he added
the knowledge of aU, or the much greater part, of the
Oriental Languages to that of the Hebrew. But he
still laboured in obscurity, till he was accidentally
discovered by the worthy Dean Prideaux, who, partly
at his own expense, and partly by a subscription,
sent him to Oxford, where, though he was never a
member of the University, he was, by Uie Dean's in-
terest, admitted into the Bodleian Library, and em-
ployed for some years in translating or miaking ex-
tracts from Oriental MSS. AU the hours that the
library was open he constantly attended; when it was
shut, he employed most of his leisure time in teach-
ing the Oriental Languages to yonng gentlemen, at
the moderate price of half ^a-guinea a language, ex-
cept for the Arabic, for which he had a guinea. —
About 1720, he removed to London, where he spent
the remainder of his life under the patronage of the
famous Dr. Mead. The only work which he publish-
ed appeared in 1734, and was a translation from the
Arabic of * Al-Mesra, or Mahomet's Journey to Hea-
ven.' — See a further account of Hill and Wood in the
Selections from the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. iii,
pp. 264-269.
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ASTRONOMICAL OCCURaSKCES. 291
In NOVEMBER 1825.
' Astronomy b not only Taliiable as it affords us such exalted
ideas of QoDand his works, but it also improves the mind, and in-
creases the force and penetration of the hnman understanding. For
by means of this science, we are taaght to discover the spring and
fooDtain of aU celestial motions, and to follow the footsteps of the
Creator through the immeifse regions of his empire,'
BOHNYCASTLE.
Solar Phenomena.
The Son enters Sagittarius at 16 m. after 1 in the
afternoon of the 22d of liiis month, and he rises and
set daring the same period as in the foUowing
TABLE
Of the Sun*8 Rising and Setting for every fifth Day.,
November Ist, Sun rises 12 m. after 7. Sets 48 m. after
6th, 20 7 40
nth, 39 7 21
16th, 37 7 23
2l8t, 45 7 15 ;
26th, 51 ....... 7 9
Equation of Time,
When the time of the day has been observed by a
good sun-dial, and it is required to find the hour that
should be indicated by a well regulated clock at the
same moment, the correction must be made as spe-
cified in the following
TABLE
Of the EquaJtion of Time for every fifth Day.
Tuesday, Nov. Ist, from the time hy the dial mh, 16 15
Sunday, 6th, 16 11
Friday, Uth, 15 46
WedQe8day,...16th, 15
Monday, 2l8t, 13 53
Saturday, 26th, 12 27
Lunar Phenomena.
The lovely Moon serenely shone
Lake some fair eastern queen on high,
While stars, whose light proud day miglit own,
Were 0xed in silent glory nigli,
And each bright orb around her throne
Poured streams of sliver down the sky.
Literary Gazette,
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292 ASTRONOMICAL OCCURRBNCBS
Phases of the Moon.
Last Quarter,. • 3d day, at 2L va, after 61q tbe evenmg
NewMooo, . • .'10th ....... 13 9 in the morning
First Quarter, 17th ....... 31 11
Full Moou^ . . 35th 12 4 in the afternoon.
Eclipse of the Moon.
The Moon will be eclipsed on the 2dth of this
month> and the eclipse will be partly visible in this
country. The circamstances under which it will take
place are the following : viz.
h. m. «.
Beginning of the eclipse 3 24 45
Moon rises eclipsed at 4 1 O
. Ecliptic conjunction • 4 11 45
Middle of the eclipse «....-... 4 22
End of the eclipse 5 19
Digits eclipsed 20 37' on the Moon'a
southern limb, or from the northern
side of the Earth's shadow.
' Moon's Passage over th^M^ndianf
The Hobnwill pass the first meridian of this country
at the following times daring this month; which will
aflford oppottunities for observatioh if the weather
be favourable : viz.
November 3d, at 49 m. after 5 in the morning
4th, .. 30 6
5th, .. 30 7
6th, •. 21 8
7th, .: 13 9
15th, . . 52 4 in the afternoon
16th, .. 39 5 •
17th, .. 24 6
18th, .. 6 7
19th, ..47..; 7
20th,. ...28 8 w...
21gt, .,► 10 ..^..... 9
22d, ...53 10
. . .. 23d,. .. 39 10
TABLE
Of the Time of High Water at London for every fifth
Day.
Morning. 4fUmoon,
November Ist, at 22 m. after 5 » 45 m. after 5
6th, .. 10 10 50 10
11th, .. 51 ...... 2 15 3
16th, .. 27 6 52 6
2l8t, .; 19 ......11 19 ...... 11
.26th, ..57 2 57 2
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m KovBMBKR 1825. 2d3
Phenomena Planbtarum.
Phases of Venus.
This planet is now fast approaching the point of
her utmost illumination^ bift^ on account of her great
distance from the earth, this \^ by no means that of
her greatest brilUaAcy* The prppprt^ons pf her phases
are,
November 1st, {SLT^^r^r.'* Z TslTe
Eclipse pf Jupiteir^s SaiellUes,
The following eclipses of Jupiter^s first and second
satellites will be yisible this month ; —
ImmersUms.
First Satellite, 3d day, at 17 m. 45 s. after 6 in the momiDg
11th 39 ..43 2 ...
ISth 33 .. 10 4
Sfith. 26 ..35....*... 6
27th...... 54 ..45 ,....,..
Second Satellite, dth 56 .. 40 •••.•.... 2....
12th 30.. 5
29th 4 53 ..43 llatnight.
Conjunction of the Moon with the Planets and Stars*
November 10th, with Mercury . • • at 7 in the evening
11th, . . . • t -in Scotpio, 5 in the morning
15th, .... in Capricorn, 3 in the afternoon
94th, . • • . tin AtieSy 11 in the noming
25tby ....Satttni, at midnight.
Mercury will be in his superior conjunction at
30 m. after 4 in the morning of the 1st of this month.
The ottier occurrences.iureiiot sufficiently itnportant
to be recorded in this place.
Bb2
Digitized by VnOOQ iC
294 ASTRONOMICAL* OC/CUftaBNCES.
To the Evening Star.
: . ^' }
Clouds float around to houoor thee, and Evening
Lingers in .hesveu., Southey*
When from the blue sky traces of the daylight
Fade, and the night winds sigh from the ocean.
Then on thy watch-tower beautiful thou shinest,
St%r of the Eveniog.
Homewards weary mi^ plods from his labour;
From the dim vale comes the low of the oxen,
Still are woodf, and the wings of the small birds
. ' Folded in slumber.
Thou art the lover's star ! thou to his fondiieurt
Ecstasy bequeathest ; for beneath thy soil ri^
Underneath the green trees, down by the river, he
Waits for his fair one.
Thou to the sad heart beacon art of solace,
Kindly the mourner .turns bis gaze to thee,
Pait joys awakening, thou bidd'st him be of comfort^ .
' Smiling in silence.
. . Star .of the mariner ! .when the dreary ocean
. Welters around .him, and. the breeze is moaning,
' -Fondly he deems ^bii thy bright ^eye is dwelling
• • On his home afar off.*
' On ihe'deai;cqtfage) where sit by 'the warm hearth,
Tbinking of the absent, hi's'wife and his dear babes.
In bis i(Bar>HUi4ilig 4>e fauflA of their voices
Steals like a zephyr. , .
Farewell,, thou bright stlir ! when woe .ai|d,'aqguish
Hung. on sny^heart «nth a heanry and sad ioad.
When Bot a hoe on the changed earth .was friendly.
Changeless didst thou smile.
Soon shall the day come, soon shall the ni^ht flee.
Thou dost usher In darkness and day-light,
Glitterest ihrougti the storm, and mid the blaze of moming
Mdtest in gloi7«
Thus though this dark eardi holds on the good man.
Misfortune and malice tarnish not his glory ;
Soon the goal is won, and the star of our being
Mingles with heayen.
D. M. MOIIU
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295
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l%e foUowing description of a new Hydrometer
hM^teentiansinitted te iisy and ivhich we insert to
exercise the ingenuity of our young readers injts
construction. — This instrument consists of a plaidc,
three feet in length and one in breadth^ having in the
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296 A NHW HYOftOMSTCR.
f" ■-■'■■ ■ I .11 „ ■■ .11-111. I I ■
middle a small cl^ft^ or cut^ eightef^n inches long^ :
along this cleft a little gilded son, or any other or-
nament, rises and descends, agreeable to the change
that is made in the air, from moist to dry, and firom
dry to moist; and ^arks, by means of a needle, the
degree of drought or moisture qn the two divisions
that are on the right and left of the cleft, and marked
D. M. The division which marks the change firom
dry to moist has its progression from above down-
wards, and the other, on the contrary, from below
upwards. The needle, by which the little sun marks
the degrees, has this peculiar property, that upon die
least change that happens from dry to moist, it gives
a hidf turn, and carries the longest of its ends on that
division which goes from below upwards, or that
which goes fi'om above downwards, following the
change that is made from moist to dry, or from dry
to moist, while its other end marks the opposite di-
vision.
These two divisions contain twelve spaces or de-
grees ; and to mark more precisely, even to the least
change, there is, under the cleft, a circle marked on its
border with two divisions of sixty parts each, the pro-
gressions of which are opposite ; and in the middle of
this circle there is another needle which goes the
whole round, whilst the little sun passes one of the
twelve divisions or degrees, either rising or falling,
and so shows, on the border of its circle, the parts
or minutes of each of these degrees.
The origin of the changes that are observed in this
instrument is nothing more than several litUe cords
or pieces of twine artificially placed on pulleys be-
hind the board, which cords, shortening or lengthen-
ing as the air becomes dry or moist, causes the orna-
mental sun to rise or fall, and the needle wiihia tfie
circle to turn sometimes on the one side> andMme-
times on the other.
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THE naturalist's BIARY. 297
For NOVEMBER 1825.
How chill and cheerless is this barren scene !
With haze and cloud the pale sky ever glooms,
And the shorn Sun, with powerless ray, illumes
Forest and field, where beauty erst hath been.
The golden grain and honied clover-flowers
Have disappeared ; and, on the breezes borne,
Sere yellow leaves from the dark branches torn
Dance dizzily amoi^g the faded bowers 3-~
Prone o*er the steep its swoln and muddy tide,
From bleak and barren hills, the river pours.
And, downward to the ocean as it roars.
Washes lone perished flowers on either side :
Above — beneath — the wandering eye dfeplores
Ravage and ruin, everywhere descried ! !
D. M* MOI'R.
November is generally allowed to be one of the
darkest and most dreary months in the year^ arising
from the lowness of the clouds, the small power the
Sun's rays have in rarifying the exhalations from
the earth,, from the humidity of the air near its sur-
face during the continuance of westerly winds, and
the consequent obstructions of the sunshine. The
November of 1823, however, formed a very striking
contrast to the two preceding Novembers in respect
to the quantity of rain that fell. There were only
six or seven slightly frosty mornings, and the latter
part of Uie month was distinguished for its mildness
and the re-appearance of the common flies from their
winter retreat. The garden also was gay with autum-
nal flowers ; but too often, however, in this gloomy
month,
tangled walks
And leaHess boughs, that to the wintry air
Lift up their heads, all shelterless and bare.
Alone are left of Summer's ^audy store.
O. M. HOIR.
and we are led to exclaim with the anonymous author
of the following pretty lines.
Digitized by VnOOQ iC
298 THE naturalist's diary
Where are now the dreaming flowers.
Which of old were wont to lie,
Looking upwapds at the hoars^
In the pale bine sky ?
Where's the once red regal rose?
And the lihfy love-encfaAnted ?
And ihtpensie which arose
Like a thought earth-planted ?
Some are withered — some are dead —
Others now have no perfume ;
This doth hang its sullen head,
That hath lost its bloom.
Passions, such as nourish strife
In our blood, and quick decay,
Hang upon the flower's life
Till it fades away.
New Montkljii Magazine,
Although November is usually dull and cheerless,
yet there are some intervals of clear and pleasant
weather : the mornings are occasionally sharp, but
the hoar-frost is soon dissipated by the Sun, and a
fine open day follows. There is a soothing mildness
in these last ^ lingering looks' of Autumn, pecuUarly
grateful to the feelings — and possessing a melancholy
but pleasing influence. The fields and inclosures
are cleared of their harvest treasure, and the web of
the gossamer extends in unbroken and floating path-
way over stubble and lea. Vegetation is every where
passing rapidly into decay ; and the solitary plaintive
chirp of the robin ' accords well with the withered
fern and seared leaf,— with that sombre aspect of
colouring, which tree and forest every where put on.
* When we list to the hermit roJrin singing
With a warning voice mid fading bowefi,
Think we not then how life is winging
On to the tomb which must soon be ours !
The past— the past> like a mournful story.
Lies traced on the map of thought unfurled ;
And the future reveals the promised glory
Of unending Spring in another world.
D. IT. MOia.
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FOR NOVBMBBR 1825. 299
On an Autumn Leaf.
Thou, Autamn Leaf, as low I see
Thy li^fat form torn from yon lorn bougb,
I weep — for faitbfai memory
Tells what thou wert, tho' withered now.
Thou'rt like my hopes, that blossomed fair.
Ere life was half obscured with grief;
But love flew by — then came despair,
And each hope withered like thy leaf.
RICHARD RYAX.
The month of November^ surrounded as it is by
the * ruins of the year/ may be said to be peculiarly
* devoted to contemplation :' — ^we naturally surrender
ourselves to the quietude of a serious thoughtfulness,
and deep and interesting impressions are borne home
upon the hearty in every breath that soothes, in every
beam that gilds, and in every variety of colouring that
adorns the landscape. Now, in the beautiful lan-
guage of the poet.
The shertening day its crimson eye
Closes in haste, a calm delight it yields
To wander lonely through the twilight fields.
And mark the eyentng star gleam out on high !
While, moumfaliy, a twilight mantle lowers
On hill and vale, dim forest, and blue stream ;
And cottage windows, with a casual gleam.
Speak of domestic peace.— Oh, fading bowers !
Oh, shortening days! and nights of dreary length ^
How emblematic of the fate of man
Are ye, and of his fast declining strength,
His chequered lot, frail life, and fleeting span!
Thousands have falFn since joyous spring began
Its smiling c6Urse, — say, shall the next be ours!
D. M. MOIR.
But to return to our Diary of the appearances of
Nature in this month ; it is, like the intervals of fine
weather in November, brief indeed, and may be told
in a few lines. The Virginia-creeper has now a very
rich and beautiful appearance. Mushrooms are col-
lected in abundance tbis month : see p. 201 of this
volume. The congregating of small birds, whi(;h was
notteed as commencing in October, still continues;
Digitized by VnOOQ iC
300 THB NATDKALIST^S DJABY.
and the long-tailed titmouse is seen in troops in the tall
hedge-rows. The stock-doye, one of the latest winter
birds of passage, arrires from more northern regions
towards the end of this monfh. Moles now make
their nests, where they lodge daring the winter, and
which are ready for depositing their young in the
spring.
Now our fashionable birds of passage begin to take
flight from tiieir country seats to the sea-side, there
to pass this and the succeeding months of December
and January, unannoyed (as they say) by * trades-
people andsuch-like vermin;' and then return to spend
the WINTER (from February to July) in the great,
smoky Babel, -ycleped London *.
November by the Sea-Side is well described in one
of the series of beautiful sonnets on this month, pub-
lished some time since^ in Blackwoods Magazine.
A dim blae haziness overhangs the sea,
While here and there, upon the sorgy fide,
With bellied sails, the vessels, dim descried,
Against the opposing blast toil heavily :
■ The afternoon and evening pursuits of the fashionable exqui-
site (for the mornings he devotes to Somnus) are admirably pour-
tray ed in the following highly descriptive lines:-—
His afternoons he passed in visits, luncheons,
Lounging and boxing; and the twilight hour
In riding round the PaTks.<—
« « •
Then dress, then dinner, then awakes the world !
Then glare the lamps, then whirl the wheels, then roar
Through street and square fast-flashing chariots hurled
like harnessed meteors ; then along the floor
Chalk mimics painting 5 then festoons are tw irled ;
Then roll the brazen thunders of the door,
Which opens to the thousand happy few
An earthly paradise of * Or-Molu ! »
There stands the noble hostess, nor shall sink *
With the three-thousandth curtsey.
♦ « *
Saloon, room, hall, overflow beyond their brink,
And long the latest of arrivals halts,
'Midst royal dukes and dames condemned to climb.
And gain an inch of staircase at a time. .
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CUtlNARY VBGBTABUSS. 301
On sullen wing tbe sea-gull wheels away
To isles remote, in crevice dank to dwell
Of bleakest rock, beyond the utmost swell
Of billow, lashing high its dizzy spray : —
The wild waves curl their bleak, and foamy heads ;
From the cold north the wind impatient raves ;
Tumultuous murmurs through the ocean caves
Ring dismal ; while the gloomy tempest*spreads
Athwart the joyless deep ; the showers down pour,
Toss the rough main, and drench the sandy shore.
D. M* MOIR.
DESCRIPTION 0/ CULINARY VEGETABLES.
[Con tinned from page 273.]
Samphire {crithmum maritimum). — ^This aquatic
herb^ when pickled^ is very agreeable to the palate ;
and is gathered upon our shores and used as a pot-
herb by the inhabitants of the sea coast. The sort
commonly called the golden samphire, grows upon flat
ground just overflowed by salt water, whereas the
best kind is only found in the crevices of lofty rocks,
and generally in dangerous places; to this Shak-
speare alludes: —
How fearful
And dizzy 'tis to cast one's eyes so low !
The crows and choa^hs that wing the midway air
Show scarce so gross as beetles : halfway down
Hangs one that gathers samphire ; dreadfal trade !
Metbinks he ^eems no bigger thi^i his head.
Samphire may be propagated either by seeds or
by parting the roots, and, if planted on a moist gra-
velly soil, will thrive tolerably well, and may be pre-
served for some years ; but it will grow best when
rooted into a wall, or upon artificial rock-work, [t
has a warm aromatic flavour, and is reckoned a good
stomachic. From the ashes of this maritime plant
the salt called atkali is extracted ; and they also make
the best soap when formed into a ley and boiled with
oil.
ScALLioN. — See Onion.
SBATKALB'{€rafii&€ maritima J is now a common
c c
\ Digitized by Google
302 CULINAIIT YEGfiTABLBS.
vegetable in Covent Garden market, but in France
it is nearly unknown : it is a hardy perennial^ is
found in its wild state on various parts of our shores,
and has, from time inmiemorial, been eaten by the
common people on the western coasts of Britain.
The young spring shoots and the stalks of the un-
folding leaves, blanched by risings through the natu-
ral ground in a wild state, or by earthing up in gar*
dens, are the parts used, and when boiled and dressed
like asparagus, are considered not inferior to that
vegetable. TTiey form also an excellent ingredient
in soups. Sea-kale cannot easily be overdone in
cooking; but it should be thoroughly drained, and
suffered to remain a few minutes before the fire to
dry. It is generally and best raised from seed, of
which if sown to transplant, for a seed-bed four feet
by nine (sown in drills a foot apart by eight inches in
the row), two ounces will suffice ; if sown to remain,
then the same quantity will serve for a plot five feet
by fifteen, sown in drills two feet apart. Plantations
may also be formed by detaching rooted offset-shoots
from established plants, or by cuttings of the roots,
leaving about two eyes to each cutting. The last
fortnight of March and the 1st of April comprises
the best time for putting in seed or cuttings, and re-
moving plants. A light, dry^ moderately rich mould
of a loose texture suits it best. By forcing, sea^kale
may be had in perfection from November to May. —
See Loudon's Encyclopedia, art. 3906.
SHALtOT.—iSee Onion.
SoRRBL.—iSe€ Salads. '
Spinach, or Spin age {spinacia oleracea). — THAs
pot-herb has been known from time immemorial in
Spain. It is faearly tasteless, very inoffensiv«> and
an extremely wholesome vegetable far persons in the
decline of life, and for all who are troubled with
constipation. Both it and sorrel should be boiled,
if possible, in silver, as it is very dangerous to cook
them in brass or copper. They also make an agree- ~
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CULINARY VBORTAfiL&S. 303'
able mixture together, and need no more water to
boil tbem than will adheie to their leaves when they
are washed, to be cooked. The spinage seed should
be sown upon an open spot of ground, in wet weather,
at the beginning of August. . As soon as they show
four leaves, hoe, weed, and part thein to four inches
asunder: five weeks after that hoe. them again, then
keep (hem free from weeds, and in October they will
be fit for use. At first take off the largest outer leaves^
and continue so to crop each plant all the winter and
spring, till that sown in the spring has come to matu-
rity, which will geperally be in the month of April.
The n.ame of this olm alludes to the shape of its
leaf, which resembles a thprn, spina, or the head of
an arrow or spear. Np dish of the Idiad of herbs is
more palatable than this, when fried with as much
fresh butter as it can absojb, with chopped onion,
pepper, salt and nutmeg, the spinage makes its ap^
pearance upon the table. Lozenge pieces of fried
bread will bastion the dish, iJieir yellowish hue con-
trasting most elegantly with the deep green of the spi-
nach. This warm and pleasing herb came over from
Holland two centuries ago, but was not introduced
into French dishes till full fifty years before.
The Garden Oraqh {atriplex hortensis), of which
there are several varieties, was formerly used with
other herbs, especially spinage, to make pottage. It
is still a favourite in France, because its qualities
are very similar to those of spinage. It may be sown
at Michaelmas, or early in the spring ; and only re-
quires occasional hoeing, weeding, and thinning, when
too close. It will be ripe in August, and must be
eaten while young, otherwise it turns tough and good
for nothing.
Thyme (thymus vulgaris), — Garden thyme is dis-
tinguished from the wild sort by being more hoary
and woody ; the leaves also ar^ whiter a^d narrower,
and the flowers smaller. All the varieties, however,
have an agreeable arpmatic smell, and a warm pun-
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304 CULINARY VEGETABLES.
gent taste. Their culinary use is principally for broths
and ragouts; also to savour meats, and render fliem
more relishing. The Spaniards » infuse them in the
pickle wifli which they preserve jtheir jolives ; they
also use a decoction of thyme in washing out their
wine vessels.
The Lemmrthyme is less pungent than the comsion
garden thyme, but much more grateful ; it is used as
a seasoning for veal and other meats where lemon-
peel would otherwise be required. Thyme grows in
its natural state on arijd, hilly situations, and also OQ
banks, which Shakspeare observed,
* I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows.*
When intended to be reserved for winter use, it
should be cut while in blossom, and hung up in the
shade to dry. The wild thyme makes a neat border
for cottage gardens, and will last many years when
occasionally cut. It yields camphor by distillation,
and is very grateful and refreshing to those who are
afflicted with nervous disorders.
We subjoin some poetical tributes to this agreeable
herb. Shenstone calls it ^pun-provoking thyme;'
Rucellai, in his *Bees/ a poem, says that * Nature
made it on purpose for them to make honey of,' and