Little Folks (December 1884) Part 17

Pa.s.sing through the gate into the nave, we see against the choir screen on our left the monument of Sir Isaac Newton, with a tedious list of his discoveries. Proceeding along the north aisle we see to the left the new pulpit for the Sunday evening services, and near it is a bra.s.s of life-size on a slab covering the grave of the eminent engineer, Robert Stephenson. Another slab close by shows the Victoria Tower and a ground-plan of the Houses of Parliament. This is the grave of the great architect, Sir Charles Barry. The famous African explorer, David Livingstone, lies in the centre of the nave. Turning again to the north wall we see about the centre of the numerous monuments one to the Right Hon. Spencer Perceval, First Lord of the Treasury, who was shot in the House of Commons by Bellingham, in the afternoon of May 11th, 1812. In this aisle I was going to say lies, but more correctly stands the body of Ben Jonson, who is buried in an upright position.

At the end of the aisle are the monuments of a few famous statesmen.

Among them are Mackintosh the historian, Tierney the orator, Lord Holland, Zachary Macaulay, friend of Wilberforce, and father of the great historian; and Charles James Fox. The great rivals, Fox and Pitt, as we have seen, are buried near each other in the transept. Their monuments are also near together--that of Pitt, by Westmacott, represents the great orator trampling on the French Revolution, in the att.i.tude well known to the House of Commons at that day.

Pa.s.sing some immense military memorials of little interest nowadays, and the busts of Canon Kingsley and the poet Wordsworth, we now turn along the southern wall of the nave. Here is the monument of the dramatic poet Congreve, and that of Admiral Tyrrell, who was buried at sea in 1766, always attracts the notice of visitors. Many allegorical emblems surround the representation of the Admiral's resurrection from the depths of the sea. The clouds above are so like pancakes as to have given the tomb its familiar name of "The Pancake Monument." Farther east we reach the monument of the unfortunate Major Andre, executed as a spy by General Was.h.i.+ngton in the War of Independence. The monument has been frequently injured and repaired, as the heads of Was.h.i.+ngton or Andre have been again and again broken off by persons having strong sympathies for one side or the other.

In the south aisle of the choir we pa.s.s on the left the curious monument of Thomas Thynne, representing in relief the murder of that gentleman in Pall Mall. In this aisle also is the monument of the well-known Dr.

Watts. It was erected here a century after his death; and still more recently two other great Dissenters were commemorated close by--John and Charles Wesley--the former the founder of the religious society that bears his name, and the latter justly called "the sweet singer of Methodism."

Pa.s.sing the remarkable monument which shows us Admiral Shovel dressed as a dandy of the period, and reclining on cus.h.i.+ons under a canopy, we enter the south transept, or Poets' Corner. Geoffrey Chaucer was the pioneer of the children of genius in this hallowed spot. He was buried here in 1400. Nearly two hundred years pa.s.sed on, then Spenser was laid near by. As we gaze round us we behold such a crowd of honoured names that it is difficult to select any for special mention. Just at our feet is the black marble slab that covers the grave of Charles d.i.c.kens. Close by lie the historians Grote and Lord Macaulay. Other gravestones cover the mortal remains of the wit Sheridan, the learned Dr. Johnson, Old Parr (who lived under ten kings and queens, from Edward IV. to Charles I.), &c. The monument of Cowley recalls his grand funeral, which was attended by about a hundred coaches full of n.o.bility and eminent personages. Close by is a n.o.ble bust with the simple inscription--"J.

Dryden." The monuments to Milton and Shakespeare were erected here by admirers long after their death, and are quite unworthy of their fame.

Gray, Thomson, Goldsmith, and many other poets who were not buried here, are commemorated on the walls and columns. The beautiful bust of the poet Longfellow is one of the most recent additions to the interesting features of Poets' Corner. A tablet to Granville Sharp reminds us how that good man exerted himself on behalf of the slave Somerset, and procured from twelve English judges the famous decision "that as soon as any slave sets his foot on English ground he is free." The allegorical pile in memory of the "Great Duke of Argyll" strikes the eye of every visitor. The monument to Dr. Busby, the famous Westminster schoolmaster, is a fine piece of sculpture. Addison represents Sir Roger de Coverley as standing before it and saying, "Dr. Busby! a great man; he whipped my grandfather; a very great man! I should have gone to him myself, if I had not been a blockhead--a very great man." If we turn round we see the statue of Addison himself, by Westmacott, in the farther corner of the transept. He was very fond of meditating in the old Abbey, and in the _Spectator_ are many beautiful thoughts suggested by his visits to the place. I will conclude our survey of the tombs with a few of his words:--"When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of envy dies within me; when I read the epitaph of the beautiful every inordinate desire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tombstone, my heart melts with compa.s.sion; when I see the tomb of the parents themselves I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow. When I see kings lying by those who have deposed them, when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or the holy men who divided the world by their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little compet.i.tions, factions, and debates of mankind. When I read the several dates of the tombs, of some that died yesterday and some that died six hundred years ago, I consider that day when we shall all make our appearance together."

THE BIRDS' PEt.i.tION.

We four little birdies, scarce able to fly, Are starv'd with the cold of the frosty sky; Through the trees and the hedgerows the white snow is driven, And lies around everywhere under the heaven; It hangs on the woods, it covers the wold, It spreads over city, and hamlet, and hold.

Happy ye little folk! sheltered at home From the blasts that over the white world roam; You are merry and gay 'mid your plentiful stores, Oh, think of us ready to die out of doors!

The ground yields no worm, few berries the trees, Oh, throw us some crumbs, little folk, if you please!

So, when the summer-time comes with the flowers Decking the meadows, the wild wood, and bowers, Every garden and grove shall resound with our song: Oh, hear now our cry, for the winter is long!

The berries are scarce, so deep lies the snow, But there's comfort in crumbs for birdies, you know!

[Ill.u.s.tration: BEGGING FOR CRUMBS. _See p. 368._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE EDITOR'S POCKET-BOOK.

JOTTINGS AND PENCILLINGS, HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE]

About the Mistletoe.

The mistletoe is a shrub which grows or lives upon certain trees, such as the apple, pear, and hawthorn. It is found also on limes, poplars, firs, and sycamores, and, more rarely, on oaks--contrary to the popular belief. The white berries are full of a thick clammy juice by which the seeds are fastened to the branches where they take root. The mistletoe has been the object of a very special regard for centuries, and traces of this high esteem still survive in the well-known Christmas custom.

One variety of this practice has it that each time a kiss is s.n.a.t.c.hed under the mistletoe, a berry is plucked from the bush, and that when the berries have all been removed the privilege ceases. The Druids thought that the mistletoe which grew upon the oak possessed magical virtues, and they valued it accordingly. One of their priests in a white robe cut off the precious bush with a golden knife.

Badges of the Apostles.

The painters of the Middle Ages used to represent the Apostles with special badges which were generally symbolical of some incident in their lives. Andrew was depicted with a _cross_, because he was crucified; Bartholomew with a _knife_, because he was flayed; James the Greater with a _pilgrim's staff_ and _gourd bottle_, because he was the patron saint of pilgrims; James the Less with a _fuller's pole_, because he was slain by Simeon the fuller with a blow on the head with his pole; John with _a cup and a winged serpent flying out of it_, in allusion to the tradition that the apostle was challenged by a priest of Diana to drink a cup of poison. John made the sign of the cross on the cup, whereupon Satan, like a dragon, flew from it, and the apostle drank the cup with safety. Judas was represented with a _bag_, because he bare the bag and "what was put therein;" Jude with a _club_, because he was killed by that weapon; Matthew with a _hatchet_, because he was slain by one; Matthias with a _battle-axe_, because after having been stoned he was beheaded; Paul with a _sword_, because his head was cut off with one; Peter with a _bunch of keys_ and also with a _c.o.c.k_, in reference to the familiar episodes; Philip with a _long staff surmounted by a cross_, because he died by being hung by the neck to a tall pillar; Simon with a _saw_, because he was sawn to death; Thomas with a _lance_, because his body was pierced with a lance.

The Yule Log.

Who has not heard of the huge log (or clog) of wood that is laid in the fireplace on Christmas Eve amid great pomp and ceremony? It is lighted with the brand of last year's log which is always carefully preserved for the purpose. During the burning of the log there is much merry-making and songs and dances and telling of stories. It was the subject of several superst.i.tions. If it did not burn all night that was looked upon as a misfortune, and if a barefooted or squinting person came to the house while it was burning that also was a bad omen. The name Yule carries us back to the far-off ages when the heathen nations of the North held their annual winter festival in honour of the sun.

The Senses of Bees.

Experiments conducted by Sir John Lubbock seem to show that bees have a preference for blue flowers. Besides this curious display of a colour sense, there is some reason to believe that these "busy" insects may possibly possess in a very rude state the power of hearing. Some bees were trained to come for honey placed on a musical box, on the lawn close to a window of the house. The box was made to play several hours daily for a fortnight; it was then brought indoors out of sight, but close to the open window, about seven yards from its former position.

The bees did not, however, find the honey, though when it was once shown to them they came promptly enough.

Abolition of Christmas Day.

On December the 24th, 1652, there appeared in a small gazette called the _Flying Eagle_ one of the most curious statements ever published in connection with Christmas Day. It told how the House of Commons had that day been considering the business of the Navy, and how, before it separated, it had been presented with a "terrible remonstrance" against Christmas Day. "In consequence of this," the _Flying Eagle_ went on to say, "Parliament spent some time in consultation about the abolition of Christmas Day, pa.s.sed orders to that effect, and resolved to sit on the following day, which was commonly called Christmas Day."

The Dancing Bird.

The forests of Nicaragua are the home of a dancing bird, variously called "Toledo" from its whistling note, and "Bailador," or "Dancer,"

from its curious jumping action. A naturalist has described their remarkable performances. Upon a bare twig about four feet from the ground, two male Bailadors were seen engaged in a song and dance. They were about eighteen inches apart, and alternately jumped two feet into the air, alighting always in the same spot. As soon as one bird alighted the other bird jumped up, their time being like clockwork in its regularity, and each "accompanying himself to the tune of '_to-le-do_'--'_to-le-do_'--'_to-le-do_,' sounding the syllable '_to_'

as he crouched to spring, '_le_' while in the air, and '_do_' as he alighted." The performance was kept up for more than a minute, when the birds found they were being watched, and made off.

Americanisms.

A few words current in the United States are being gradually adopted in England. The number of new words coined in America is said to be very small indeed, as compared with the number of fresh meanings which certain words have been made to bear. Of the former "caucus"--a political committee--and "Yankee" are examples. Of the latter "smart"

used for "clever," and "clever" for "amiable," are specimens. But even among the different States of the Union, verbal peculiarities are found.

When the new Englander "guesses," the Western "calculates," and the Southern "reckons," but these various terms are all meant in the one sense--namely of thinking or supposing. In the New England States, "ugly" is employed for "ill-natured," and "friends" for "relations."

Some of the words in vogue in the Middle States are survivals of the original Dutch colonists--as "boss," an employer or manager, and "loafer," a vagabond. As to the Western States, it has been amusingly observed that "every prominent person has his own private vocabulary."

Like the Emperor Sigismund the Great, who was "above grammar," the Western States folk are superior to dictionaries.

Peac.o.c.k Pie.

On the tables of the squires and n.o.bles was sometimes seen at Christmas and other festive seasons a peac.o.c.k pie, but so costly was the dish that it was only the very wealthy who could face such extravagance. At one end of the pie the peac.o.c.k's head, in all its plumage and with beak richly gilt, appeared above the crust, while at the other end the tail with feathers outspread made a brave show. The dish, however, was regarded more in the light of a superb ornament to the table, for it was not very good eating.

The "Ironsides."

This epithet applied to the famous soldiers of Cromwell was at first used as a nickname of Cromwell himself. Mr. Picton, in his well-known life of the Lord Protector, quotes a letter from a Northampton gentleman, written just before the battle of Naseby. The writer speaks of King Charles's army as being much impressed with the news "that _Ironsides was coming_ to join with the Parliament's army." And when "Ironsides" reached them the cavalry "gave a great shout for joy of his coming to them."

Migration of Storks.

The storks pa.s.s the winter in the warmer climes of Africa. When the time for migration has arrived, they leave in great flocks, flying at a considerable height. Their wings are large, and have a great sweep, and consequently, their flight is powerful. The company of pilgrims, when at rest, afford much amus.e.m.e.nt to onlookers, and as they have the habit of constantly clacking their bills together, it will be easily believed that the uproar thus caused is a terrible nuisance. Colonel Irby likens the noise to a rattle, and if you will try to imagine the effect of hundreds of rattles, you may, perhaps, be able to form some notion of the disturbance that these storks create at the time when they are enjoying periods of well-earned repose.

The "Little Folks" Humane Society.