empress; so that at last, said the girl, "I felt my heart burning in my breast." Her father, however, had none of her enthusiasm of character. He is old, and said he neither could join the army himself, nor had he a son to send thither; and as to giving a slave for the ranks, what interest had a slave to fight for the independence of Brazil? He should wait in patience the result of the war, and be a peaceable subject to the winner. Donna Maria stole from home to the house of her own sister, who was married, and lived at a little distance. She recapitulated the whole of the stranger's discourse, and said she wished she was a man, that she might join the patriots. "Nay," said the sister, "if I had not a husband and children, for one half what you say I would join the ranks for the emperor." This was enough. Maria received some clothes belonging to her sister's husband to equip her and as her father was then about to go to Cachoeira to dispose of some cottons, she resolved to take the opportunity of riding after him, near enough for protection in case of accident on the road, and far enough off to escape detection. At length being in sight of Cachoeira, she stopped; and going off the road, equipped herself in male attire, and entered the town. This was on Fri. day. By Sunday she had managea matters so well, that she had entered the regiment of artillery, and had mounted guard. She was too slight, however, for that service, and exchanged into the infantry, where she now is. She was sent hither, I believe, with despatches, and to be presented to the emperor, who has given her an ensign's commission and the order of the cross, the decoration of which he himself fixed on her jacket.

She is illiterate, but clever. Her un

derstanding is quick, and her perceptions keen. I think, with education she might have been a remarkable person. She is not particularly masculine in her appearance, and her manners are gentle and cheerful. She has not contracted any thing course or vulgar in her camp life, and I believe that no imputation has ever been substantiated against her modesty. One thing is certain, that her sex never was known until her father applied to her commanding officer to seek her.

There is nothing very peculiar in her manners at table, excepting that she eats farinha with her eggs at breakfast and her fish at dinner, instead of bread, and smokes a segar after each meal; but she is very temperate.-Graham's Voyage to Brazil.

THE following is a quaint description of Cromwell's laying in state, and is entitled, "A particular and exact relation how Somerset House is prepared for the effigies, or representation of his late Highness, by particular order of the Lords of the Council."

"The first room the people enter was formerly the Presence Chamber, which is hung completely with black, and at the upper end a cloth of estate, with a chair of estate standing upon the Haut-place under the state. From thence you pass to a second large room, which was the Privy Chamber, all completely hang with black, and a cloth of estate at the upper end, having also a chair of estate upon the Haut-place, under the cloth of estate. The third room is a large withdrawing chamber, completely hung as the other, with a black cloth, and a cloth of estate at the upper end, with a chair of estate as in the other rooms. All these three large rooms are completely furnished with escutcheons of his Highness's arms, crowned with the imperial crown, and upon the head of each cloth of estate is fixed a large majesty escutcheon, fairly painted and gilt, upon taffeta. The VOL. III.

T

fourth room, where both the body and the effigies do lie completely hung with black velvet, the roof of the said room ceiled also with velvet, and a large canopy or cloth of estate of black velvet fringed over the effigies; the effigies itself apparelled in a rich suit of uncut velvet, being robed first in a kirtle robe of purple velvet, laced with a rich gold lace, and furred with ermins; upon the kirtle is the royal, large robe of the like purple velvet laced, and furred with ermins, with rich strings, and tassels of gold; his kirtle is girt with a rich embroidered belt, in which is a fair sword richly gilt, and hatched with gold, hanging by the side of the effigies; in the right hand is the golden sceptre representing government; in his left hand is held the globe, representing principality; upon his head, the cap of regality of purple velvet, furred with ermins. Behind the head is a rich chair of estate of cloth of gold tissued; upon the cushion of the chair stands the imperial crown set with stones. The whole effigies lies upon a bed covered with a large pall of black velvet, under which is a fine Holland sheet upon six stools of cloth of gold tissued by the sides of the bed of state

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lies a rich suit of complete armour, representing his command as general; at the feet of the effigies stands his crest, as is usual in all ancient monuments. This bed of state, upon which the effigies so lies, is ascended unto by two ascents, covered with the aforesaid pall of velvet, and the whole work is encompassed about with rails covered with velvet; at each corner is a square pillar or upright, covered with velvet; upon the tops of them are four beasts, supporters of the imperial arms, bearing banners or streamers crowned; the pillars are decorated with trophies The of military honour, carved and gilt. pedestals of the pillars have shields and Crowns gilt, which make the whole work noble and complete; within the rails stand eight great standards or candlesticks of silver, being almost five feet in height, with great tapers in them of virgin wax, three feet in length. Next to the candlesticks are set upright in sockets, the four great standards of his Highness's arms, the guidons, the great banners, and banrolls, all of taffeta, richly gilt and painted; the cloth of estate hath a majesty scutcheon fixed at the head, and upon the velvet hangings on each side of the effigies is a majesty scutcheon, and the whole room fully and completely furnished with taffeta scutcheons. Much more might be enlarged of the magnificence of this solemn setting up, and shewing the effigies at present in Somerset House, where it is to remain in state until the funeralday, which is appointed to be on the 9th of November next.-Merc. Pol. Oct. 14. to 21.

SPRING. THE VEGETABLE
CREATION."

(To the Editor of the Mirror.) As the season is advancing when nature covers the earth with beautiful flowers, and the vegetable world is arrayed in its choicest robes, the following may be worthy your insertion, and call to the minds of your numerous readers, the benevolence of the creator, so beautifully expressed in the humble, vegetable tribe:

Cowper in his task says,

"That there lives and works,

A soul in all things, and that soul is God.
The beauties of the wilderness are his,
That make so gay the solitary place,
Where no eye sees them."-..

stain,

Of his unrivalled pencil. He inspires
Their balmy odours, and imparts their hues,
And bathes their eyes with nectar, and includes,
In grains as countless as the sea-side sands,
The forms with which he sprinkles all the earth.
Happy who walks with him!"

It has been observed, that "flowers are usually the most ornamental part of ve getables, but the most fleeting and transitory." Pliny says, "Blossoms are the joy of trees, in bearing which, they assume a new aspect, vying with each other in the luxuriance and variety of their colours." The beautiful fragrance of flowers is proved by experiment to depend on a volatile essential oil, in many cases obtainable by distillation, in others by infusion in spirits, or in expressed oil, either of which imbibe or dissolve it. do not give it out alike at all times, some have no scent during the day, but become

Flowers

highly fragrant in the evening. These enhance the luxury of the bright moonlight nights of India. They are elegantly termed by Linnæus, flores tristes, sad, or melancholy flowers. Boccone is of opinion, that in many plants, the colour of the flowers is wholly owing to the colour of the juices of the root. This he instances in the greater celandine, whose roots and flowers are of the same yellow colour. The barberry in like manner, has both its roots and flowers yellow.

Flowers were in great request at the entertainments of the ancients, being provided by the master of the feast, and brought in before the second course, or, as some are of opinion, at the beginning of the entertainment. They not only adorned their heads, necks, and breasts, with flowers, but often bestrewed the beds whereon they lay, and all parts of the room with them: but the head was chiefly regarded. See Pott's Grecian Antiquities. In modern days, flowers constitute the ornaments of tables, (natural and artificial,) and in the winter we have the resemblance of these beauties of nature, formed from carrots turnips, &c. The ancients likewise used them in the bedecking of tombs. (At the present period we plant near the tomb the weepingwillow, and the mournful yew.)———

"Afflicted Israel shall sit weeping down, Their harps upon the neighb'ring willows hung, No joyous hymn encouraging their tongue."

Mrs. Barbauld justly observes, with regard to flowers,

"They spring to cheer and glad the human heart."

And one may say with Elphinston,

"Now ev'ry field, now ev'ry tree is green, Now genial nature's fairest face is seen." Likewise Gay in his Trivia.

"Hark! how the streets with treble voices ring, To sell the bounteous product of the spring! Sweet-smelling flow'rs, and elders early bred, With nettle's tender shoots, to cleanse the

blood."

"The spring," says Dr. Johnson, "affords to a mind, so free from the disturb ance of cares or passions, as to be vacant to calm amusements, almost every thing that our present state makes us capable of enjoying. The vane-galed verdure of the fields and woods, the succession of grate ful odours, the voice of pleasure pouring out its notes on every side, with the glad ness apparently conceived by every animal, from the growth of his food, and the clemency of the weather, throw over the earth an air of gaiety, significantly expressed by the smile of nature; and that the vernal flowers, however beautiful and

gay, are only intended by nature as preparatives to autumnal fruits."

A writer in the Universal Magazine, between the years 1785 and 1792, (on flowers,) observes, "They are reserved, as the sweetest charm of life, for those superior minds that are fond to improve and perfect the habits of virtue, by the constant pursuit and acquisition of intellectual and moral excellence."-Again"I have ever considered flowers as the pride and glory of the creation, and the most beautiful display of omnipotent power in the vegetable kingdom. With the poets too, as the lovely attendants of spring, they are inexhaustible sources of decorations; not only their favourite scenes, but the incidents which they are most fond to embellish, are enriched with flow, ers. Thus Virgil makes the swain invite Galatea to the spot, where spring strews the river bank with flowers. Homer, to adorn the bed of Jupiter, makes the earth pour from her bosom unbidden herbs, and voluntary flowers.* Milton, in a fine imitation of that passage, employs the iris, jessamine, and rose, the violet, hyacinth, and crocus, to beautify the blissful bower of Eve+: Thomson, in his noble hymn, at the conclusion of the seasons, invites the flowery race to join in the general chorus of praise to the great

creator:

"Soft roll your incense, herbs, and fruits and flowers,

In mingled clouds to him, whose sun exalts, Whose breath perfumes you, and whose pencil paints."

The attentive observer will perceive, that every plant upon earth appears in its appointed order. The god of seasons, the god of beauty and excellence, hath exactly determined the time when this flower shall unfold its leaves, that spread its glowing beauties to the sun, and a third hang down its drooping head, and, withered, resign its sunny robes.'These beauteous children of nature do not appear all at once, but in the most enchanting regularity of succession. Each month displays the beauties peculiar to itself. Soon succeeds the tulip, the transient glory of the garden; the anemone, encircled at the bottom with a spreading dome, and the ranunculus, which displays all the magnificence of foliage, and charms the eye with such a brilliant assemblage of colours. What an inexhaustible source of grateful admiration does this regular succession of flowers present! What manifest displays of divine wisdom and ever-active goodness! The divine goodness is indeed apparent, in having diverIliad, book xiv.

+ Paradise Lost, book iv.