corolla on the verge of the dissolving snow-the Forgetme-not, of the mountain summit, whose tints far excel those of its namesake of the brooks-the Woodsia, with its tufted fronds, adorning the clefts of the rocks-the snowy Gentian, concealing its eye of blue in the ledges of the steep crags-the Alpine Astralagus, enlivening the turf with its purple clusters-the Lychnis, choosing the stony and dry knoll for the evolution of its pink leaves the Sonchus, raising its stately stalk and azure heads in spots which try the enthusiasm of the adventurous collector-the pale-flowered Oxytropis, confining itself to a single British cliff-the Azalea, forming a carpet of the richest crimson-the Saxifrages, with their white, yellow, and pink blossoms, clothing the sides of the streams-the Saussurea, and Erigeron, crowning the rocks with their purple and pink capitula—the pendant Cinquefoil, blending its yellow flowers with the white of the Alpine Cerastiums, and the bright blue of the stony Veronica-the stemless Silene, giving a pink and velvety covering to the decomposing granite-the yellow Hieracia, whose varied transition-forms have been such a fertile cause of dispute among Botanists—the slender and delicate grasses, the chickweeds, the carices, and the rushes, which spring up on the moist Alpine summits-the graceful ferns, the tiny mosses, with their urn-like theca-the crustaceous dry lichens, with their spore-bearing apo thecia "all these varieties of vegetation, what are they but illustrations, to compare small things with great, of the diversity of modes of worship in the Kingdom of Grace, each adapted to the peculiar position of the worshippers, and the exigency of the Church? The more minutely we examine the phenomena of the world of Nature, and compare them with the inspired history of religion, and such facts as we notice in the living world before our eyes, the more reason shall we have for seeing the analogies between the order of Nature and Revealed Truth, not only in their general characters, but also in their particular application to the Church of God. And is it not desirable to draw off the soul from the feverish agitation of contending merely about "meats and drinks," as if the ordinances of "touching, tasting, handling," constituted the essence of vital religion? There is nothing on earth which so effectually allays the irritation of spirit, which so often results from a morbid religious sentiment as the contemplation of Divine Wisdom in the beautiful economy of Nature. What a high and holy privilege it is to walk with God in the garden of Creation, and with the volume of inspiration in our hands, to hold converse with the "invisible things" which are clearly seen in the wonders, and the beauties of the visible creation which surround us! The humblest weed-the mountain daisy, "the wee crimson-tipped flower," will ever afford something to examine, and a great deal to admire. He, who thus interrogates Nature, will never find himself either solitary or depressed. His companions, though mute, have a language that speaks to his heart in tones of love and gentleness, that "soothe, and heal, and bless." Apart, altogether, from the Catholic principle of true religion, which such contemplation tends to produce, there are other advantages, no less valuable, which spring from the same source. The man whose thoughts are tinged with the reflected beauties of the magnificence of a Tropical forest, or, the enamelled meadows of the Alps, or, the more homely joys of walks among the wild flowers, in the fens, or moors, or even among the quiet and sequestered haunts of rural life, will not shorten his days by over-weening cares about riches, or, worldly honours, things that "Play round the head, but come not near the heart." The flowers of the field, and the leaves of the forest, are in nothing more remarkable than their variety. They have their general resemblance, and their particular dissimilarity. In this respect Botany presents the same analogy as Comparative Anatomy. We have already stated, that from a single tooth, or, bone, the Phyiologist can construct the entire animal, even though it had lived at a period long anterior to the Reign of Man. So, in like manner, it is easy for the Botanist to determine the species of a plant from its specific and invariable outlines when examined by itself. This is all the more wonderful when we remember that on the same stem, or, indeed on any other stem, no two leaves will be found exactly alike. It would be an endless task to specify and particularize. In a word, all the works of the Creator present the same family likeness, and everywhere we see the eternal principle of a unity of plan amid boundless varieties of form. In Botany all is elegance and beauty. Its pleasures spring up at our very feet. As we walk, Nature literally strews our path with flowers. Health, serenity of mind, and quiet thoughtfulness, on the ways of Him whose name is "Wonderful," are the sure rewards of all our labour. Nature, under such circumstances, is ever new, ever abounding in inexhaustible variety. In winter, among the recesses of the woods, with their numerous tribes of mosses-in spring, with its hawthorns, its violets and primroses—in summer, with its boundless wealth of fruits and flowers—or autumn, with its variegated tints— there is always something to study, while new discoveries will suggest new trains of thought. Morning, noon, and dewy-eve," all present their fragrance and their evervarying features, so that the wise provisions and abundant resources of Nature ever yield to an observing mind as much pleasure as variety. And, day by day, the beauty, |
