And yet there are of baser mould a few, strew, The gall of Slander on his glories pour! There are who strive to blot the hero's name, That name to every true-born Briton dear: There are who, envious of the hero's fame, His masterly retreat ascribe to fear! Accursed calumny! say, felt he fear Who never shrunk from danger's frowning form? To Moore his honour more than life was dear; Where'er he fought he met the onsetstorm! Led he not on his Britons to the shock? Flam'd not his falchion in the horrid van ? Corunna conscious saw him danger mock, Saw every act proclaim the god-like man! Oh, he was fram'd of British heart of oak! And had unhallow'd Fate delay'd the blow, His arm had struck the foe-defeating stroke: Yea! laid the pride of the usurper low! Moore was among the first in honor's race, Humane of heart, munificent of mind: May fair humanity for ever grace The British name with manliest courage join'd. And, oh! may war's wild fiend depart in peace, Nor longer deluge earth with seas of blood; May the fell tyrant soon from troubling And France emerge from desolation's flood. cease, Alas! for Moore, the generous, wise, and brave, Who fought and fell in freedom's glorious ODE TO WOMAN. A. R. 'Tis thine to balm the wounded soul And melt the spirit frozen hard. Ah! what avail these charms of thine? Unstable still is beauty's power Whose base is built on outward form; With feeling in the form of grace; CURSORY COMMENTS A. R. ON THE DISAPPOINTED EXPEDITIONS AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. NAPOLEON, now thy sun is set in night, Ch-th-m shall plan, and C-st-r-h shall fight! And clever C-n-ng should so disagree, for blood? And, since they could no longer Frenchmen kill, Prove to the world, at least, their warlike will: Yea, bravely swallow disappointment's pill! WHEN next an expedition leaves our land, By Ch-th-m, great in council, be it plann'd; And give bold C-st-r-h the chief command! Gon grant this expedition a-la-mode, Occasioned by reading a wretched Epigram de- May shed no better blood than yet has flowed; signed to satirize the Sex. "O! fairest of creation! last and best." MILTON. Auld Nature swears the lovely dears Her noblest work she classes, O ! OH, woman! on thy faithful breast The weary wand'rer seeks repose; And, in thy fond affections blest, Soon finds a cure for all his woes. The wakeful son of worldly care Sleeps softly in thy tender arms; To Mammon he prefers his prayer, But owns thy far superior charms. Oh, woman! if life's prospects lower, Thou bid'st the clouds fly far away; And, e'en in sorrow's darkest hour, Thy bright eye lends a cheering ray; Nor make at home more mischief than abroad. PETER PEPPER-POT. Jamaica. EXTEMPORARY, ON READING THE NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS LO! Captain B-cly combats Time, Having long held in "high consideration" the high reaching ambition of the subject of the subjoined attempt at epigram, stronger than all his tribe of competitors and imitators; and being particularly struck by his late gallant march to Newmarket, (happy field of ten-fold future fame!) where his more than mortal efforts were crowned with the Magnanimous of soul! he soars, Nor meanly seeks for vulgar fame : He speeds not where the cannon roars ; Yet, far and wide extends his name! the most splendid success, I could not repress a wish, a presumptuous wish, to celebrate, in bardic sort, the hero of modern days. Oh! that I were worthy to strike the ancient harp of Cambria; or give breath to Scotia's tuneful bagpipe! Then might I awake to sweetest sound the silent hills of Morven ; and in sublimest strains proclaim throughout the earth, to each succeeding age, the doughty deeds of Fingal's regenerated race. He speeds not in his country's cause, FLACCUS PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. M spaces between the buds near the point of the succulent annual shoot, and totally different from that of the proper root of the plant, which comes into existence during the germination of the seed, and springs from the point of the radicle. At this period, neither the radicle nor cotyledons contain any alburnum, and therefore the first root cannot originate from that substance; but the cortical vessels are then filled with sap, and ap the sap appears to descend, which gives existence to the true root. When first emitted, the root consists only of a cel lular substance, similar to that of the bark of other parts of the future tree, and within this the cortical vessels are subsequently generated in a circle, inclosing within it a small portion of the cellular substance, which forms the pith or medulla of the root. The cortical vessels soon enter on their office of generating alburnous matter; and a transverse section of the root then shows the alburnum arranged in the form of wedges round the medulla, as it is subsequently deposited on the central ves sels of the succulent annual shoot, ard on the surface of the alburnum of the stems and branches of older trees. R. KNIGHT, whose labouts in examining and ascertaining the physiology of the vegetable creation are well known to our readers, has lately given to this learned society an account of the "origin and formation of roots. Former experiments had led him to conclude, that the buds of trees invariably spring from the alburnum, to which they are always connected by central vessels of greater or less length; and in the pre-parently in fuli action, and through these sent communication he means to shew, that the roots of trees are generated by the vessels which pass from the cotyledons of the sced and from the leaves, through the leaf-stalks and the bark, and that they never, under any circumstances, spring immediately from the alburnum. The radicle in the seed has been generally supposed to be analogous to the root of the plant, and to become a perfect root during germination: this opinion Mr. Knight supposes to be founded in error. "A root," he says, "in all cases with which I am acquainted, elongates only by new parts which are successively added to its apex, and never, like the stem or branch, by the extension of parts previously organized;" and it is owing to this difference in the mode of growth of the root, and lengthened plumule of germinating seeds, that the one must be ever obedient to gravitation, and point to the centre of the earth, while the other must take the opposite direction. But the radicle of germinating seeds elongates by the extension of parts previously organized; and, in many cases, raises the cotyledons out of the mould in which the seed is placed to vegetate. The mode of growth of the radicle, is therefore similar to that of the substance which occupies the If a leaf-stalk be deeply wounded, a cellular substance, similar to that of the bark and young root, is protruded from the upper lip of the wound, but never from the lower; and the leaf-stalks of many plants possess the power of eit ting roots, which power cannot have resided in the alburnum, for the leaf-stalk contains none; but vessels, similar to those of the bark and radicle, abound in it, and apparently convey the returning sap; and from these vessels, or from the fluid which they convey, the roots emit ted ted by the leaf-stalk derive their existence. If a portion of the bark of a vine be taken off in a circle, extending round its stem, so as to intercept entirely the passage of any fluid through the bark, and any body which contains much moisture be applied, numerous roots will soon be emitted into it immediately above the decorticated space, but never immediately beneath it; and when the alburnum in the decorticated spaces has become lifeless to a considerable depth, buds are usually protruded beneath, but never immediately above it, apparently owing to the obstruction of the ascending sap. The roots which are emitted in the preceding case, do not appear in any degree to differ from those which descend from the radicles of generating seeds, and both apparently derive their matter from the fluid which descends through the cortical vessels. Mr. K. anticipated the result of this and other experiments mentioned by him; "not," says he, "that I supposed that roots can be changed into buds, or buds into roots, but I had before proved that the organization of the alburnum is better calculated to carry the sap it contains from the root upwards, than in any other direction; and I concluded that the sap, when arrived at the top of the cutting through the alburnum, would be there employed in generating buds, and that these buds would be protruded where the bark was young and thin, and Consequently afforded little resistance: I had also proved that bark to be better calculated to carry the sap towards the roots than in the opposite direction; and I thence inferred, that as soon as any buds, emitted by cuttings, afforded leaves, the sap would be conveyed from these to the lower extremity of the cuttings by the cortical vessels, and be there employed in the formation of roots." Both the alburnum and bark of trees contain their true sap; and as this, like the animal blood, is probably filled with particles which are endued with life, Mr. K. conjectures that the same fluid, by acquiring different motions, may generate different organs, than that two distinct fluids should be necessary to form the root, and the bud and leaf. When alburnum is formed in the root, that organ possesses, in common with the stem and branches, the power of producing buds, and of emitting fibrous roots; and when it is detached from the tree, the buds always spring near its upper end, and the roots near the or posite extremity. The alburnum of the root is also similar to that of other parts of the tree, except that it is more porous, probably owing to the presence of abundant moisture during the period in which it is deposited. Perhaps the same cause may retain the wood of the root permanently in the state of alburnum; for if the mould be taken away, so that the parts of the larger roots which adjoin the trunk be exposed to the air, such parts are subsequently found to contain much heart wood. In opposition to the opinion that fibrous, like bulbous roots, of all plants, are only of annual duration, it is observed that, with regard to the latter, fature has provided a distinct reservoir for the sap, which is to form the first leaves and fibrous roots of the succeeding season; but the organization of trees is different, and the alburnum and bark of the roots and stems of these, are the reservoirs of their sap during winter. When however the fibrous roots of trees are crowded together in a garden-pot, they are often found lifeless in the succeeding spring; but this mortality does not occur in the roots of trees when growing under favourable circumstances in their natural situation. In a future communication, the author means to point out the causes which direct the roots of plants in search of proper nutriment, and which occasion the root of the same p'ant to assume different forms under different circumstances. Mr. JOHN GEORGE CHILDREN laid be fore the society an account of some experiments on the most advantageous me thod of constructing a Voltaic apparatus. His battery consisted of upwards of ninety-two thousand square inches in surface, each plate being four fect by two; and it was charged with a mixture of three parts of fuming nitrous, and one part of sulphuric acid, diluted with thirty parts of water. With this battery he fused completely eighteen inches of platina wire, 6th of an inch in diameter, in twenty seconds, and ten inches of iron wire, 5th of an inch thick: charcoal was burnt, giving out an intense brilliancy. But on imperfect conductors it had not the slightest effect; and on the human body it was hardly perceptible: and it had scarcely any effect on the gold leaves of an electrometer. But with a second battery, consisting of two hundred pair of plates each, about two inches square, placed in half-pint pots of common queen's-ware, and rendered active by by some of the liquor used in exciting the large battery, to which was added a small portion of fresh sulphuric acid, he readily decomposed potash and barytes: in that state it produced the metallization of ammonia with great facility; it ignited charcoal vividly; it caused great diver gence in the leaves of an electrometer; and it gave a vivid spark after being in action three hours. Hence it is inferred, that Mr. Davy's theory is accurate, viz "that the intensity increases with the number of plates, but that the quantity of electricity increases with their size." Thus the platina wire being a perfect conductor, and not liable to be oxydated, presents no obstacle to the free passage of the electricities through it; which, from the immense quantities given out from so large a surface, evolve, on their mutual annihilation, heat sufficient to raise the temperature of the platina to the point of fusion. With the iron wire the effect was different, on account of the low intensity of the electricity, (sufficiently proved by its not causing any divergence of the gold leaves of the electrometer) which being opposed in its passage by the thin coat of oxide formed on the iron wire at the moment the circuit is completed, a very small portion only of it is transmitted through the wire. To the same want of intensity is to be attributed the inability of the large battery to decompose the barytes, and its weak action on imperfect conductors in general. The small battery, on the contrary, exerts great power on imperfect conductors, decomposing them readily; although its whole surface is more than thirty times less than that of the great battery: but in point of number of plates, it consists of nearly ten times as many as the large one. The long-continued action of the small battery, shews the utility of having cells of a sufficient capacity to hold a large quantity of liquor; and in large combinations, a certain distance between each pair of plates is absolutely necessary to prevent spontaneous discharges which will otherwise ensue. Mr. Children also made experiments to ascertain whether there was any striking distance in the Voltaic spark; and he found that with twelve hundred and fifty plates, four square inches surface each, the striking distance was about th of an inch in length, and he assumes, that by increasing the number of the plates, the striking distance will also be increased. “The absolute effect," he says, "of a Voltaic apparatus, seems to be in the compound ratio of the number and size of the plates: the intensity of the elec tricity being as the former, the quantity given out as the latter; consequently regard must be had in its construction to the purposes for which it is designed. For experiments on perfect conductors very large plates are to be preferred, a small number of which will be sufficient; but where the resistance of imperfect conductors is to be overcome, the com bination must be great, but the size of the plates may be small; but if quantity and intensity be both required, then a large number of large plates will he necessary. For general purposes, four inches square will be found to be the most convenient size." Mr. EVERARD HOME, in examining the internal structure of a Squallus maximus, met with a peculiarity in the interver tebral substance of the spine, not hitherto noticed; an account of this substance, as found in fish and quadrupeds, he has laid before the royal society. It is fluid of the consistence of liquid jelly, with a tendency to coagulation. In the squal lus, the form of the cavity is nearly sphe rical, capable of containing three pints of liquid. The fluid being incompres sible, preserves a proper interval between the vertebræ to allow of the play of the lateral parts, which are ligamentous and elastic, and forms a ball round which the concave surfaces of the vertebræ are moved, and readily adapts itself to every change which takes place in the form of the cavity. The elasticity of the diga ments, by its constant action, renders the joint always firm, independently of any other support, and keeps the ends of the vertebra opposed to each other, so that the whole spine is preserved in a straight line, unless it is acted on by muscles or some other power. When a muscular force is applied to one side of the spine, it stretches the elastic ligament on the opposite side of the joint, and as soon as that force ceases to act, the joint returns to the former state, which is one of the most beautiful instances in nature of elasticity being employed as a substitute for muscular action. The extent of the motion in each particular joint is undoubtedly small, but this is compensated by their number, and the elasticity of the vertebræ themselves. Fish in genera! have their vertebra formed with similar concavities to those of the squallus maximus; these, when dead, contain a solid jelly, but in the living state it is found fluid. The structure of the intervertebral joint, which appears to be common to fish in general, is evidently contrived for producing the quick vibratory lateral motion, which is peculiar to the backbones of fish while swimming, and ena bles them to continue that motion for a great length of time, with a small degree of muscular action. This joint is not met with in any of the whale tribe, whose motion through the water is principally effected by means of their horizontal tail in them the substance employed to unite the vertebræ, is the same as in quadrupeds in general. The external portion is firm and compact; ranged in concentric circles, with transverse fibres uniting the layers together, it becomes softer towards the middle, and in the centre there is a soft pliant substance without elasticity, but admitting of extension more like jelly than an organized body, corresponding in its use to the incompressible fluid of fish. In the hog and rabbit, in the central part, there is a cavity with a smooth internal surface of the extent of half the diameter of the vertebra, in which is contained a thick gelatinous fluid; so that in some quadrupeds there is an approach towards the intervertebral joint of the fish: but in the bullock, sheep, deer, monkey, and man, the structure corresponds with that of the whale. In some animals, as the alligator, the vertebræ through the whole length of the spine have regular joints between them, the surfaces are covered with articulating cartilages, and there is synovia and a capsular ligament. In the snake there is a regular ball and socketjoint between every two vertebræ; so that the means employed for the motion of the back-bone in different animals, comprehends almost every species of joint with which we are acquainted. It appears then, that the intervertebral substance of the human spine does not consist entirely of elastic ligament, dense in its texture at the circumference, and becoming gradually softer towards the centre; but the middle portion is composed of materials which render it very pliant, though not at all elastic, fitting it to keep the vertebræ at the proper distance from each other, so as to admit of the action of the lateral elastic ligaments. "When this knowledge," says Mr. Home, "is applied to the treatment of curvatures of the spine, a complaint so commonly met with in young women, whose strength does not bear the necessary proportion to the growth of the body, it will shew the great impropriety of overstretching the intervertebral ligaments, since in that state the central substance no longer supports the vertebræ, and the joints must lose their proper firmness, which will be attended with many disadvantages." Mr. BRANDE has analysed the substance described, and he finds it to approach nearer to mucus, or mucilage, than to any other animal fluid. By mucus, he means a glary fluid, which does not mix readily with water, which is neither coagulated by heat or acids, and which does not form a precipitate with solutions containing tannin. Though it resembles mucus, it is, under certain circumstances, capable of being converted into modi fications of gelatine and albumnen. VARIETIES, LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL. Including Notices of Works in Hand, Domestic and Foreign. Article will always be thankfully received. the repeated remonstrances of this gentleman to the Neapolitan court_to have them removed, or sent to England. We learn however, that Mr. Hayter had previously copied and corrected NINETYFOUR of those which he had unfolded, and that these copies, which are fac-similes, were transinitted by him to the Prince of Wales, and have since by his Royal Highness, through Lord Grenville, been presented to the university of Oxford. Among these was a Latin poem, which Mr. Hayter conjectures to bave been |