347 ANECDOTES, &c. HISTORICAL, LITERARY, AND PERSONAL. EFFECT OF THE HUMAN EYE ON frequently mentioned, though much ANIMALS. doubted by travellers. But, contiA WRITER in a new periodical nues the writer, from my own inquiwork published at the Cape of Good ries among lion-hunters, I am perHope, called the South African fectly satisfied of the fact; and an Journal, furnishes some curious par- anecdote, which was related to me ticulars on this subject. The Be- by Major Macintosh, late of the East chuana chief, says he, old Peysho, India Company's service, proves that now in Cape-Town, conversing with this fascinating effect is not restricted me a few days ago about the wild exclusively to the lion. An officer animals of Africa, made some re- in India, whose name I have forgot, marks on the lion, which perfectly but who was well known to my incorrespond with the accounts I have formant, having chanced to ramble obtained from the Boors and the into a jungle adjoining the British Hottentots. The lion, he said, very encampment, suddenly encountered seldom attacks man if unprovoked, a royal tiger. The rencounter apbut he will frequently approach with-peared equally unexpected on both in a few paces, and survey him stea-sides, and both parties made a dead dily; and sometimes he will attempt || halt, earnestly gazing on each other. to get behind him, as if he could The gentleman had no fire-arms, and not stand his look, but was desirous was aware that a sword would be no of springing upon him unawares. If effective defence in a struggle for a person in such circumstances at- life with such an antagonist. But he tempts either to fight or fly, he in- had heard that even the Bengal ti curs the most imminent peril; but if ger might be sometimes checked by he has sufficient presence of mind looking him firmly in the face. Ile coolly to confront him, without ap- did so. In a few minutes the tiger, pearance either of terror or aggres- which appeared to be making a fatal sion, the animal will in almost every spring, grew disturbed, slunk aside, instance, after a little time, retire. and attempted to creep round upon But, he added, when a lion has once him behind. The officer turned conconquered man, he becomes tenfold stantly upon the tiger, which still more fierce and villainous than he continued to shrink from his glance; was before, and will even come into but darting into the thicket, and again the kraals in search of him in prefer- issuing forth at a different quarter, ence to other prey. This epicurean it persevered for above an hour in partiality to human prey in these this attempt to catch him by surtoo-knowing lions does not, in Pey-prise; till at last it fairly yielded the sho's opinion, spring either from necessity or appetite, so much as from the naked wickedness of their hearts." The over-mastering effect of the human eye upon the lion has been Vol. IV. No. XXIV. contest, and left the gentleman to pursue his pleasure walk. The direction he now took, as may easily be believed, was straight to the tents at double quick time. 3 A HEATHS. ly both honey and wax from the flowers of the heath, but it is generally of a dark colour. Grouse feed principally on the seeds of the wild heath, for the seed-vessels are formed so as to protect the seeds for a whole year. Cattle are not fond of heath, although goats and sheep will sometimes eat the tender shoots. DAINTY DISHES. The ancients kept and fatted a kind of field-mice, which were found in chesnut-wood. They are called in Italy ghiro de glis. They are still eaten, but only at the tables of the great, for they are extremely rare. In the excavations of Herculaneum there were found glireria, a kind of earthen cages in which these animals were fed. The diminutive size of these plants, says Mr. Phillips, their extreme beauty and great variety, fit them better for the green-house than most other plants. Our collectors have now about four hundred species of heath, of such various colours and forms as to defy the pen in description: for some species present us with little wax-light flowers, others with pendent pearls; some are garnished with coralline beads, while others seem to mimic the golden trumpet, or tempting berries, or porcelain of bell or bottle shape. Some remind us of Lilliputian trees, bedecked with Turkish turbans in miniature; some have their slender sprays hung with globes like alabaster, or flowers of the cowslip form. Nor are their colours less varied than their shape; while the foliage is equally beautiful in its apparent imitation of all the mountain-trees, from the Scottish fir to Lebanon's boasted cedar, through all the tribe of pine, spruce, and larch; tamarisk, juniper, arbor vitæ, mournful cypress, and funereal yew. Heath often forms the bed of the hardy Highlander. In most of the Western Isles, they dye their yarn of a yellow colour by boiling it in water with the green tops and flowers of this plant; and woollen cloth, boiled in alum-water, and afterwards in a strong decoction of the tops, comes out a fine orange colour. In some of these islands they tan their leather in a strong decoction of it. They also use it in brewing their ale, in the proportion of one part malt to two of the young tops of heath. The cottagers of heathy commons cut the turf with the heath on it, and afternance. drying, stack it for the fuel of their hearth and oven. Bees collect large In the Isle of France there is in the stems of trees a large maggot with legs, which corrodes the wood, and is called montoue. Both blacks and whites eat it with avidity. This maggot also was known to the ancients; and Pliny informs us, that it had a place on the tables of Rome. It was fed with the finest flour. That which lives in oak-wood was preferred: it was called cossus. CHEVALIER TURGOT. During the reign of Louis XV. the post of governor of Cayenne became vacant. This new colony, from its importance, seemed to require a man possessing superior qualities of head and heart. The Duke de Choiseul, then prime minister, conceived that he had found such a person in the Chevalier Turgot, brother to him who was subsequently minister of fi The chevalier, a solid sober man, devoted to the sciences, lived retired, and was scarcely known by name to the king. It was neverthe- || vreuil. With the boldness which less of importance to Cayenne that none but a French courtier can poshe should obtain the appointment; sess, the Duke d'Ayen immediately and it was therefore necessary to dis- exclaimed, "Sire, it was invented by pose the king in his favour. The the Chevalier Turgot." Next day minister had in vain several times the Duke de Choiseul submitted to spoken in commendation of him to the king the list of vacancies, and the the monarch; Louis remained quite names and the persons proposed to indifferent, At length, in his de- fill them. When the king came to spair, Choiseul applied to his friend, the name of Turgot-" Aha! Turthe Duke d'Ayen (son of the Duke got!" said he, "a very clever fellow, de Noailles), a favourite with the a man of talent, a genius; I have queen. "Cost what it will," said he, heard a very high character of him." "remind the king, either in joke or || Need we add, that the appointment earnest, of my good Turgot." Ayen | of the inventor of the savoury sauce promised to do so. One day at din- to the government of Cayenne was ner Louis happened to praise a sa- forthwith confirmed?" voury sauce, called sauce au che MUSICAL REVIEW. It is for these reasons we do not Rondeau Brilliant for the Piano feel called upon to follow the detail forte, composed by Carl Maria von Weber. Op. 62. Pr. 2s.-ed notes which we committed to pa- per during the performance of Mr. IN the consideration of works whose author is a foreigner residing abroad, we generally content ourselves with expressing our opinion in a summary manner, just sufficient to impress our readers with the idea we entertain of its general complexion. We have not the vanity to think, that our account will reach the party concerned: if it did, we doubt whether he would much attend to it; and the degree of attention he might pay to our opinions could, after all, but be a matter of minor consideration. The case is different with the works of English composers. There,ness, without knowing the purport or criticism' is properly in its place; it destination of the journey. Here has its direct object; its aim is to the path is clear, clean, agreeable, point out merits or defects; to en- interesting, and cheering. courage, to amend, sometimes to condemn. The art of introducing and preserving keeping and symmetry is as essential in music as in any other of point of duration, our meaning night the fine arts. Perhaps three or four even be illustrated geometrically. composers in a hundred may ob- A piece in which the successive peserve it instinctively, unconsciously:riods might be represented under we doubt whether in that number as the following diagram, many more can be mustered who attend to it upon principle and with premeditation; but we are quite sure from experience, that the other ninety odd have little or no idea about the matter. What comes uppermost is put to paper as it comes, and enough is thought to be done if the leading idea, either in its direct form or in a disguised shape, is at intervals returned to. We may perhaps be asked what we understand by the terms keeping and symmetry in musical writing, more particularly as this is not the first time we have used them. As dry definitions are generally the worst sort of explanations, let us suppose a piece to consist of a couple of hundred bars. What, if the author were to call upon himself for an account of what he has been doing to fill up this extent of crotchets and quavers? Not bar for bar, but according to periods or marked features of division. What, if he were next to compare these several successive portions of his labour, both with reference to their extent of duration and their intrinsic melodic, as well as harmonic, contents? If he were to weigh them against each other, perceive a want of correspondence and proportion, some too " lengthy," others intrinsically too heterogeneous: if, with this impression, he proceeded to curtail excrescences, or to amend melodic or harmonic incongruities, we should then say he is endeavour ing to infuse keeping and symmetry into his labour. So far as regards mere rhythmic symmetry, i. e. symmetry in But independently of rhythmical regularity, our remarks apply equally and more forcibly to logical symmetry; i.e. symmetry of contents. The divisions may be in perfect propor tion as to time, and yet be destitute of proper keeping with reference to the musical sense of the periods: and this requisite is even more essential than the mere balancing as to time; its attainment is more difficult, its observance more neglected. It is not to be supposed that the performer of the piece formally ap plies any scrutiny of this kind. When so many composers are scarcely aware of the advantage of these obser vances, how should the player come to think about them? But without thinking about them, the player or hearer, possessed of a common share of musical taste and feeling, will be greatly influenced in his opinion of a composition, by the degree of keeping and symmetry which, un |