fometimes occurs from fpafm, we know; for we have feen more than one cafe of it following hyfteric fits, and, unless they foon go off, they are commonly relieved, as in the firit inftance related in this paper, by an emetic.

XXXIV. Of the Ufe of Cantharides, taken in Subftance, in certain Diseases of the Bladder. By the fame.-In our author's opinion, cantharides are not diuretic. We have had fome reafons to form a different opinion; but perhaps it may be doubtful whether they exert any power except on the neck of the bladder. Dr. Smyth gives them in diseases of the bladder from weakness, fometimes appearing as incontinence of. urine, and fometimes as an obftruction. In the last disease, we think they are lefs properly adapted; for their action, we have faid, is almoft peculiarly on the neck of the bladder. Dr. Smyth thinks the fubftance will fucceed when the tincture has failed, and gives from one to four grains twice a day; generally beginning with the smaller dofe, and gradually increafing it. This volume is illuftrated with the neceffary plates, well executed; but, in general, as a collection, it does not rife above mediocrity.

Remarks on Forest Scenery, and other Woodland Views (relative chiefty to picturefque Beauty.) Illuftrated by the Scenes of New-Foreft, in Hampshire. 2 Vols. 8vo. 11. 16s. Boards. Blamire.

1791.

FOREST Scenery' is the laft of Mr. Gilpin's labours; and it is, on the whole, one of the most entertaining. In every breaft, there is a kind of fuperftitious attachment to the monarchs of the wood.' A large luxuriant tree is always a pleafing object; and, with the various reflections of dignity, wonder, and utility which it excites, religion mixes occafionally its graver tints, or fuperftition fuggefts fcenes of fublimer horror. Dodona's grove, our own Druids, and their fanguinary rites, the scenes which the lively vifionary beings of domeftic fable have confecrated to fame, recall different ideas in contemplating the leafy ornaments of the forests; nor can imagination always difcard their fancied inhabitants, the Dryads and Hamadryads. An habituated attachment adds to the pleasure and the intereft; and the trees under which the boyish fports of our younger days have paffed, the bark imprinted with our names, become almost our friends; we lose them with deep regret. Such is the attachment which those accustomed to fylvan fcenes feel for these diftinguished objects of the vegetable kingdom, that they hear with pain of the deftruction of woods, and fcarcely believe that cultivation, focial intercourfe, or fecurity, are adequately purchased by

their lofs. In this kingdom we have to lament, from different caufes, the lofs of our forefts; and it is always with particular pleafure that we follow the progreflive steps of the Society for the cultivation of Arts, &c. in their encouragements of plantation. We with the oak was more attended to: it is the fole king of forefts all.'

To follow Mr. Gilpin, we must confider trees as objects of picturefque beauty only. As we have fometimes looked at them with other views, we cannot always join in his feelings and his opinions. Deformity, difeafe, and partial death, add perhaps to the variety of the painter's compofition; but, to those who do not merely examine the grouping or the colour, they appear what they are, and difpleafe. We mention this, to account for a little deviation which, though we purpose to avoid, may occasionally appear, from our author's opinion. He treats exclufively of picturefque beauty; and thefe appearances, if they add to it, deferve praife. The firft object of attention is fingle trees. A tree, to be beautiful, muft be natural; branched with a pleating regularity, and its top and branches fhould be proportioned to its trunk: it must stand alfo fixed in the ground, or, in our author's language, be well balanced. A tree not well balanced is not beautiful, yet when hanging over a river, from the edge of a rock, or a tree with pliant pendent branches, will appear fo. In this cafe, we rather probably look at the branches, and are pleased with the fweep than confider the tree as a whole. A pollard on which a fingle branch is left can never be beautiful, unless, as it fometimes happens, the trunk is concealed: the idea of mutilation destroys the effect. We have not, with Mr. Gilpin, included lightnefs, among the beauties; for this is only comparative, and we hope was not introduced from an averfion to the beech.

The maladies of trees, Mr. Gilpin obferves, are fubfervient to the ufe of the pencil; and one chapter is destined to fhew in what way the blafted branches may be rendered picturefque. We own that, in nature, even the moffes and the parafite plants injure the branches of trees, and we can admit only of the waving hop; in a very few inftances, of the ivy or woodbine as ornamental. It is a confciousness perhaps that they injure the tree, which influences our opinion: but this fubject we promised to avoid. The following is beautiful only in a picture; it can scarcely be enjoyed in nature:

The blafted tree has often a fine effect both in natural and in artificial landscape. In fome fcenes it is almoft effential. When the dreary heath is 'pread before the eye, and ideas of wildness and defolation are required, what more fuitable accompaniment

can

can be imagined than the blafted oak, ragged, fcathed, and leaflefs; shooting its peeled white branches athwart the gathering blackness of fome rifing storm,'

Mofs certainly at times varies the hue, and adds to the beauty; but the trunks of trees, unlefs eminently beautiful or greatly deformed, do not add to, or detract from, our pleafure. The appletree fhooting generally at nearly right angles, and covered with mofs, is a moft difpleafing object; yet the oak fhooting at right angles and covered with mofs is faid to be beautiful.

The advantages of the oak are numerous; and, when in leaf, from the shape and colour of the leaves, it is beautiful; fome part of its beauty arifes undoubtedly from the angles formed by its sprays, because it is by this means rendered lefs mafly. But it must be obferved, that the angle of the fhoots is then concealed; and when in winter it is no longer covered, the oak yields to the afh, and even to the beech and elm. Our author's defcription and encomium on the oak, in other refpects, deferve great commendation, as executed with equal tafte, judgment, and knowledge. The afh prefents a trunk, whofe natural colour emulates that which is occasioned, on the oak, by moffes and lichens: its fprays rife alfo at eafy angles, and the whole tree fhould be more frequently intermixed in plantations with the oak. Our author feems eager to find fault with its foliage, decaying in difagreeable colours. This we do not confider as a defect: it is of more conicquence to remark, that, in its old age, the eafy flowing line of its branches is often bent into harther forms: in fome foils it dies on the top; a difeafe to which the mountain ash is particularly fubject. But we ought to obferve, that the ath is chiefly beautiful in compofition; for, as a fingle tree, it is not of magnitude and importance enough to fill the mind. We know no form more difpleafing in a vegetable than the weeping afh: the weeping willow bends, feemingly, from its weight, in a foft airy curve; but the weeping afh is forcibly, in appearance, bent to the ground in a fharp, harfh angle, while its fprays appear to make a weak ineffectual effort to rife upward. The weeping willow, as our author fufpects, will not always thrive very near water. It requires a strong moift foil rather than a wet one, and we have seen it thrive. well in a cold wet clay, where no other tree would vegetate.

If the afh is beautiful only in compofition, the beech is a noble fingle tree: its foliage is maily; and from want of lightness, from its not yielding the chequered fhade, Mr. Gilpin feems prejudiced against it. The deep colour of its leaves, the boldnefs of its fhoots, and its general form, render it however very refpectable. It flands with great effect in a hollow,

where

where, from an adjoining elevation, the various layers of its branches can be feen. The elm our author praises with great judgment and propriety: the vigorous unmutilated elin is a tree of great beauty and effect. The lime we do not admire more than Mr. Gilpin: it has too much uniformity of furface, and does not branch with elegance or boldness. We fhall fe→ lect a fpecimen of our author's defcriptive talents from his ac count of the birch.

The birch may have feveral varieties, with which I am not acquainted. The most common fpecies of it in England are the black and the white. The former is a native of Canada; the latter, of Britain. Of the white birch there is a very beautiful variety, fometimes called the lady-birch, or the weeping-birch. It's fpray being flenderer and longer than the common fort, forms an elegant penfile foliage, like the weeping willow; and like it, is put in motion by the least breath of air. When agitated, it is well adapted to characterise a storm; or to perform any office in landfcape, which is expected from the weeping willow.

The ftem of the birch is generally marked with brown, yellow, and filvery touches, which is peculiarly picturefque; as they are characteristic objects of imitation for the pencil, and as they contrast agreeably with the dark green hue of the foliage. But only the ftem, and larger branches have this varied colouring: the fpray is of a deep brown; which is the colour too of the larger branches where the external rind is peeled off. As the birch grows old, it's bark becomes rough and furrowed. It lofes all it's varied tints, and affumes a uniform, ferruginous hue.'

All the trees of the foreft thus pass in review before our eftimator of picturefque beauty. We have already rested too long on this part of the work. In the rest of the examination, if we except a little too great partiality to the pines, and particularly of the Scotch fir, we fee scarcely any thing to occa fion obfervation or difpute. Perhaps our own prejudices against the firs may be as unreasonable as our author's partiality in their favour. We fhall conclude this part therefore with the curious account of fome fingular yews:

Thus much for the utility and dignity of the yew. As to its picturefque perfections, I profess myself (contrary I fuppofe to general opinion) a great admirer of its form, and foliage. The yew is, of all other trees, the moft tonfile. Hence all the indignities it fuffers. We every where fee it cut and metamorphofed into fuch a variety of deformities, that we are hardly brought to conceive, it has a natural shape; or the power, which other trees have, of hanging carelessly and negligently. Yet it has this power in a very eminent degree; and in a ftate of nature, except in expofed fituations, is perhaps one of the most beautiful evergreens

greens we have. Indeed, I know not whether, all things confidered, it is not fuperior to the cedar of Lebanon itself—I mean to fuch meagre reprefentations of that noble plant, as we have in England. The fame foil which cramps the cedar, is congenial to the yew.

It is but feldom however that we fee the yew in perfection. In New-Foreft it formerly abounded: but it is now much scarcer. It does not rank among timber-trees; and being thus in a degree unprivileged, and unprotected by foreft-laws, it has often been made booty of by thofe, who durft not lay violent hands on the oak, or the afh. But fill in many parts of the foreft, fome noble fpecimens of this tree are left. One I have often vifited, which is a tree of peculiar beauty. It immediately divides into several maffy limbs, each of which hanging in grand loose foliage, fpreads over a large compafs of ground, and yet the whole tree forms a clofe, compact body: that is, it's boughs are not fo feparated, as to break into diftin&t parts. It cannot boaft the fize of the yewtree at Fotheringal, near Taymouth in Scotland, which meafures fifty-fix feet and an half in circumference; nor indeed, the size of many others on record: but it has fufficient fize for all the parpofes of landfcape, and in point of picturefque beauty it probably equals any of them. It ftands not far from the banks of Lymington river, on the left bank as you look towards the fea, between Roydon farm, and Boldre-church. It occupies a small knoll, furrounded with other trees; fome of which are yews; but of inferior beauty. A little fream washes the base of the knoll; and winding round, forms it into a peninfula. If any one should have curiofity to vifit it from this description, and by the help of these land-marks, I doubt not but he might find it, at any time, within the fpace of thefe two or three centuries, in great perfection, if it fuffer no external injury. If fuch trees were common, they would recover the character of the yew-tree among the admirers of picturesque beauty.'

The hiftories of remarkable trees are compiled with great industry, and contain fome curious anecdotes. Before however we can believe that the oak at Torwood in Stirlingshire was ever the fcene of druidical inftructions or facrifices, we must be convinced that the Druids had ever a footing in Scot land: the remains of the tree only now exift; but its diameter must have been, it is faid, 11 or 12 feet. Hern's oak is ftill fuppofed to exist in Windfor foreft; but its age prevents us from thinking it was the fame which Shakspeare has immortalized. Mr. Gilpin very properly remarks, that trees, to be the scene of elfen gambols, were ufually old ones; though this tree cannot, even at prefent, be confidered as having paffed its maturity. We fufpected that, in Shakspeare, the tree was reprefented as hollow; but we cannot find it fupported

in