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Southern Field and Fireside. VOL. 1. {'"KSSSEr*} [For the Southern Fluid *an<l Fireside.] MEMORY. I wandered erst, along the shore of Life; Its breezes softly fanned my childhood's brow; I watched the ocean-birds on skimming wing, And listed to the ripples’ murmuring flow. A store of gathered shells was in my grasp; But a» the swift-winged moments speeded by. , They, one by one, fell from my careless clasp, And I passed gaily on, unhecdingly. Youth's crown was on my brow. With buoyant step, I trod Life’s sun-lit shorestill on, still on! And soon of Childhood's store, my gathered shells, The last had dropped. They were all gone, all gone ! Forward! still forward! And when Time had writ The record, on his page, of many a year. When I had seen Earth's hopes and blessings flit, And shed o’er Joys departed, many a tear, An Angel came, and placed within my hand A casket fair, inwrought with tiny cells; And there, as in a lairy nest, were laid The treasures lost—my childhood's ocean-shells! And they, with fairy music, sang to me In plaintive murmurs, as of far off seas The low sweet voice, when with the sparkling waves, In frolic mood, disports the ocean-breeze. And would’st thou know the name of these bright shells ? And would’st thou know the burden of their song? And who the Angel fair that gently came, And rendered back the treasures lost so long ? ttic itiitvti **"**— -i* l u' liannir —y Os girlhood's joys they whisper pleasantly I And she, of Angel form, who to my gaze Gave back the shells, Is Whlte-robett Memory ! LiLLT-BKLL. [For the Southern Field and Fireside.] THE WHITTINGTON CLUB. No. 7. - Bishop. —Have you seen the 9th volume of Appleton's New Cyclgpoedia ? Whittington. —Yes, and I think it sustains ad mirably the reputation oi the volumes preceding it. This Cyclopmdia promises to be a great and valuable work. It is somewhat original in its plan, which has, so far; been ably, and what is more unusual, impartially executed. The am plest justice to the genius and achievements of all sections of our country, appears to be the in fluencing principle and motto of the publishers. Southern writers have invariably been engaged to treat of Southern themes ; and thus, almost for the first time in the history of American lit erature, the intellect and the performances of our people have received their dues of acknow ledgment and commendation. Bishop. —Of course you have heard the objec tions urged against the work, on account of the alleged black republicanism of it*editors ? Whittington.— Certainly; but we need not re vive the discussion of a question, which arose last week, when you produced your criticism up on Godwin's History of France. Bishop. —Just as you please, although you have not converted me to your opinion yet. Whittington.— 11 A wilful man maun hae his way,” as the Scotchman says; the light, how ever, will doubtless visit you on the subject, be fore you die. As for the ninth volume of the Cy clopedia, I would observe, that so far as I have been able to examine it, the contributions by John Esten Cooke on a variety of topics—bio graphical and political —are, to my taste, among the most entertaining and satisfactory papers in the book. I refer especially to the Lives of Patrick Henry and of .Washington Irving. The former is written with remarkable care, and with a sustained and contagious enthusiasm. The subject is evidently a favorite one with Mr. Cooke, and he has labored upon it con amore. His analysis of Patrick Henry’s mind, and the causes of his peculiar success as advocate and orator is just, philosophical and acute. How well he expresses bis views upon the extraordi nary combination of powers possessed by that eloquent man, the “mouthpiece,” as he terms him, “ of the Revolution." No less striking, and, probably, no less true than the description qf Henry’s genius and mor al resources, is the picture which follows, of bis personal appearance. I beg that you will read both passages at your earliest leisure. In reference to Henry’s private habits, Mr. Cooke informs us that he indulged in none of the vices of high living, then so prevalent —that he was singularly temperate and frugal, rarely drinking anything but water, and thus present ing the strongest possible contrast to his con temporaries. Bishop. —l can perfectly understand how it was, that a man Eke Patrick Henry, should care nothing'for the pleasures of the table, or, indeod, for any sensual gratification. Favored by God with a robust frame, and an ardent tem perament, circumstances plac«d him in the midst of events the most momentous and ex citing* Patriotism, as developed in V* nature, was in itself a tremendous stimulant, Hiding, in fact, admittting of no other stimulant, arti ficial in its character. Whittington.—l think that you are right Bishop! It is ouly to the man of feeble body or mind, whose existence is burdensome, or aimless, that stimulants of a dangerous kind can ever naturally appeal, as powerful and overcoming temptations. I say naturaJhj, for, of course, any man, the most robust and sprightly, can cultivate a passion fbr “ strong drink,” for opium, hasheesh, or any of the innumerable agents of destruction which exist in the world. * * * By the way, Hal, speaking of cyclo paedias, &e., Ac., what is your opinion of AlH bone's Dictionary of Authorst Bishop. —l regard it as a full and candid work, invaluable as a production for literary references. It differs lrom the “ Cyclopaedia ” of Appleton, inasmuch as the purpose of the com piler is to introduce the names of distinguished authors only. Beyond this department of letters the “ Dictionary” does not pretend to go; but the work strikes me as being quite as able and conscientious of its kind as the more ambitious publication you have justly commended. Whittington. —l have been reading a singu lar volume of poems, issued some months ago; the name of the author is Sydney Dobell ; have you encountered his work? Bishop. —No! But I remember to have seen several notices of it in the prominent English Reviews. Whittington. —Mr. Dobell is a remarkable writer, whose life and poems are both worthy of consideration. He was bom in England, (but the exact spot has not been designated], upon-Apm J-n, iunr~TTrs Ta'JSrTTTCTfn, w« descended from a younger branch of an ancient Sussex family, notable as cavaliers in tho days of King Charles. This branch had, we are told, maintained the intellectual tastes that distinguished the original stock, and the names of several members figure in Allibone’s Dic tionary. The family is, beyond question, one ot the oldest in Great Britain, for the arms now borne by them were confirmed by Camden in 1604, a circumstance which proves that they must have been granted long before that period. John Dobell, the immediate progenitor of Sydney, was, like his son, an author.— He produced a book, said to be able and origi nal in plan ana execution, called “Man Unfit to Govern Man." He married a Miss Julietta Thompson, daughter of the famous London reformer in politics and religion, Samuel Thompson. Os this marriage there were ten children, of whom Sydney being the eldest son. The poet’s earlier years were spent at Peckham and at Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. When nearly twelve, Sydney entered his father’s counting house, in which he served as a clerk for upwards of eleven years. In 1844, when about twenty, he married a daughter of the Cam bridgeshire house of Fordham, one of the most ancient families in the realm. We find him soon after, lodging, with his wife, among tho roman tic ranges of the Cotswold hills; here he began his drama of*“ The Roman," which w»s subse quently completed at Coxhome House, in Carl ton Ring’s, a beautiful valley near Cheltenham. During this time he was released from business, and became a sleeping partner in his father’s firm. As soon as this arrangement was con summated, Sydney Dobell went to Switzerland, and there it was that he commenced his second elaborate drama, published not long afterwards, as “ Balder .” Upon tho appearance of this work, in 1853, Mr. Dobell visited Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland. Forming the acquaint ance of Alexander Smith, he entered into a lit erary partnership with him, the result of which was the composition of a brief volume, entitled “ Sonnets on the War," i. e., the allied war against Russia. In the spring of ’SB, our poet took Cleeve Tow er, a small fort near the highest point (1150 feet) of his favonte Cotswold Hills, where he now resides, overlooking an English landscape of eighty miles by fifty. Bishop. —Why, you spoke as if there had been something remarkable in this young man’s life. I confess the details seem to me extremely bald. Whittington. —l did not mean to say that his biography presented any startling incidents; I merely designed drawing your attention to the unusually favorable circumstances under which Mr. Dobell lias thus far been permitted to prose cute his artistic labors. Even the toils of his counting-house career appear to have been light; and you cannot fail to remark that the best years of his early manhood have been passed among scenes of exquisite natural beauty, the influ ence of which ought to have been genial aud in spiring in the highest degree. Bishop.— Ought to have been! but were they ? Whittington. —The few critical notes I am about to read to you, will show: “ Mr. Dobell’s mind, if I may so express myself, seems to be .divided into two distinct compartments, one of them presided over by a veritable ‘imp of the perverse,’ a spirit, affected, unnatural, ‘ not to be endured,’ whilst the other is governed by a genius, vigorous, beautiful and true. ‘ The Ro man’ and 1 Balder’ are, upon tho whole, origi nal and striking poems, but the unity of art in both of them is defective. After passages of re al sublimity, the reader fc affronted by a page or two of the obscurest, most detestable rant. “ Again, when we come to oxamino Mr. Do- AUGUSTA, GA., SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1860. bell’s miscellanies, this strange inequality of power in conception and execution likewise, be comes still more glaringly apparent. “ Between the piece, for example, called ‘An Evening Dream,’ with its union of contempla tive pathos, and stirring martial music, —and, such a miserable abortion (one among many similar specimens of doggerel)—as the rhymes entitled ‘Wind,’ there is an almost unlimited interval. How the author of the fiist noble poem could have penned the second, surpasses, I confess, my comprehension. As an instance of the depth of inanity to which a man of ge nius may descend, pray listen to the following ‘ Oh! tho wold, the wold. Oh! the wold, the wold. Oh! the winter stark, Oh! the level dark. On the wold, the wold!'; Ac. • And in this strain, Mr. Dobell, who really is a poet, goes on for some eight or ten stanzas. ‘ Even poor Matt Lee never wrote verses more thoroughly absurd. Mr. Dobell’s ‘ Sonnets on the War,’ are decidedly the' best of his minor performances. The burning imaginative power, the terse, forcible rhythm, and the delicate, often prefound feeling which they exhibit, could not be too highly “commended. In illustration of my remarks I would cite, and especially suggest for your perusal, the two sonnets entitled ‘ L’Avenir,’ and ‘ The Army Surgeon.’ ———■♦» i —i ORIGIN OF PROVERBIAL EXPRESSIONS. explanatipns given as to the origin of this term. The most plausible seems to be the following by Charles Knight, who says: “I have always thought that the phrase, ‘ Mind your p’s and q’s,’ was derived from the school room or the printing office. The forms of tho small ‘p’ and ‘q’ in the Roman type, have always been puzzling to the child and the print er’s apprentice. In the one, the downward stroke is on the left of the oval; in the other, on the right. Now, when the types are reversed, as thpy are when in the process of distribu tion they are returned by the compositor to his case, the mind of the young printer is puzzled .to distinguish the ‘p’ from the ‘q.’ In sorting pi, or a mixed heap of letters, where the ‘p’ and the ‘q’ are not in connection with any other letters forming a word, I think it would almost be impossible for an inexperienced person to say which is which upon the instant. ‘ Mind your ‘p's and q's' —l write it thus, and not ‘ Mind your P's and Q’s, —has a higher philoso phy than ‘mind your toupees and your queues,’ which are things essentially different, and im possible to be mistaken. It means, have regard to small differences; do not be deceived by ap parent resemblances; learn to discriminate be tween things essentially distinct, but which look the same; be observant; be cautious.” “It Smells of the Lamp." —This was an ex pression of contempt and reproach applied to Demosthenes by rival orators envious of his excellence and distinction. Demosthenes was Doted for the great labor and extreme care with which he always prepared himself before appear ing upon the rostrum, before the people. His speech, it was said, smells of the lamp,” {lou hjehnou ■ ozei). In Plutarch ( Demosthenes ) is found the following passage in relation to this subject. After noting the constant laborious preparation of Demosthenes, tho biographer says:. “Hence it was concluded that he was not a man of much genius; and that all his eloquence was the effect of labor. A strong proof of this seemed to be, that he was seldom heard to speak anything extempore, and though the people often called upon him by name, as he sat in the as sembly, to speak to the point debated, he would not do it unless he came prepared. For this, many of the orators ridicufed him; andPytlieas in particular told him, 1 That all his arguments smelled of the lamp.’ Demosthenes retorted sharply upon him—‘Yes, indeed; but your lamp and mine, my friend, are not conscious to the same labors.’ ” ■‘ To Eat Humble Pie." —The humble pie of former times was a pie made out of the “ am bles” or entrails of the deer, a dish'of the second table, inferior, of course, to tfae venison pasty which smoked upon the dais, and there fore not inexpressive of that humiliation which the term “eating humble pie” now painfully describes. The “ umbles” of the deer are con stantly the perquisites of the gamekeeper. “ The Wise Jfen of Gotham." —ln Thoroton’s Nottinghamshire, vol. i, pp. 42, 43, the origin of the general opinion about the wisdom of these worthies is thus given, as handed down by tra dition : “ King John intending to pass through Goth am towards Nottingham, wa3 prevented by the inhabitants, they apprehending that the ground over which a king passed was forever after to become a public road. The king, incensed at their proceedings, sent from his court, soou afterwards, some of his servants to inquire of them the reason of their incivility and ill treat ment, that he might punish them. Tho villagers hearing of the approach of tho king’s servants, thought of an expedient to turn away bis ma- jesty’s displeasure from them. When the mes sengers arrived at Gotham, they found some of the inhabitants engaged in endeavoring to drown *an eel in & pool of water; some were employed in dragging carts upon a large barn, to shade the wood from the sun; and others were en gaged in hedging a cuckoo, which had perched itself upon an old bush. In short, they wore all employed upon some foolish way or other, which convinced the king’s servants that it was a village of fpols.” ‘God tempers the wind to the shoi'n lamb." — This saying is from Sterne’s Sentimental Journey. He, however, takes it from tho French: ‘‘-4 brebis tondue Dieu mesure te vent ." It appears to be of some antiquity, as it is to be found in somewhat different versions in a collection of proverbs published in 1594—“Dieu mesure le froid d la brebis tondue.” “Dieu dontrc le froid selon la robbe.” ’ ‘‘Goesar's Wife must be above Suspicion." —The origin of this proverb may be found in Plutarch (title Julius Ccesar). In Rome, the annual festi val in honor of Bona Dea (Good Goddess), Patron ess of the Women, was held at the house either of the Praetor or Consul. When Ciesar was praetor, the anniversary fete was celebrated at his house. No man could be present on these occasions. The master of the house himself went out, leaving the women alone. Pompeia, Cesar's wife, was directress of the feast. There was a ‘fast,’ wealthy young man of the *»)HIW Wi,* WrlWrtie, ViiViH—» CUnjiiiiß hp notoriously dissolute,but adored by the women— a “dear little fellow,” whose name town-talk had already connected lightly with Pompeia's. Olodius, who was yet a beardless youth, thought he might pass into the house upon occasion of this fete, in woman’s apparel, undiscovered; and in fact, taking the garb and instruments of a female musician, ho looked very like one. He entered; but his gaucherie promptly caused his detection, —and the startling cry of “ a man in the'house 1 a man in the house 1" spread horror and consternation through the apartments.— The ceremonies were suspended, and the ladies all immediately went home, and told their hus bands what had happened. Os course there was great scandal in Rome next day. Folks would talk. Human nature does not seem to have altered much since then. A bit of scandal in good society was almost as much relished in Pagan Rome some eighteen hundred and fifty years ago, as it is in a Chris tian town of now-a-day. “ The abominable lit tle wretch 1” said one. “ What impiety 1" Baid another. “What impudence!" a third. One “feared that - Pompeia did kuow something, about it, beforehand." Another “hoped that, after all, it was only impertinent curiosity and youthful Indiscretion on his part, and that if Pompeia did know about it, she didn’t mean any harm either. “How daring! Is henotcliarm ingl” Os course, it was a young man who said that. One of the tribunes impeached Clodius of im piety, sacrilege, and what not; and on the trial much worse things came out against him than even t\jp present charges. Ciesar had divorced Pompeia immediately after the flare-up; but Clodius was acquitted. “ C.csar, (says Plutarch) wherfcalled on as a witness at the trial, declared he knew nothing of what was alleged against Clodius. As this declaration appeared somewhat strange, the ac cuser demanded why, if that were'the case, he had divorced his wife? 'Because,' said Ciesar, 1 I would have the chastity of my wife clear even of suspicion !' Some say Cicsar’s evidence was according to his conscience; others, that he gave it to oblige tho people, who were set upon sav ing Clodius.’ 1 We find, also, in Suetonius (Jul. Cmsar, 74), the following passage having reference to the same subject: “The name of Pompeia, the wife of Julius Ciesar, having been mixed up with an accusation against P. Clodius, her husband divorced her ; not, as he said, because he believed the charge, but because lie would have those belonging to. him as free from suspicion as from crime." THE EARLIEST MENTION OF^tTANO. It cannot be altogether to com municate the date when tbe#iiowk-<]ge of Gua l no and its fertilizing qualities first became known in Europe. There is mention cf this substance in the translation of the Spanish Jesuit, Joseph de Acosta’s Mur all and Morall Ilustorte of the East and West Indies. Acosta had resided sev enteen years in Peru, and his work was first printed at Seville in 1590. The extract (at p. 311)is as follows: . “There are other birdes at the Indies, contra rle to these, of so rich feathers, the which (be sides that they are ill-favoured) serve to no oth er use but for dung: and yet perchance they are ofjio less profite. I have considered this, won ! dering at the providence of the Creator, who | hath so appointed that all creatures should serve than. Ir. some islands or pharts , which are joyning to .he coast of Peru, wee see the toppes of the mountains all white, and to sight you would take it for snow, or for some white land: but they are heapesa)f dung of sen lowle,which I Two Dollar* Per Annum, I 1 Always In Advance. t go continually thither; and there is so great abundance as it riseth many elles, yea, many launces in height, which seems but a fable.— They go with boates to these islands, onely for the dung, for there is no other profit in them. And this dung is so commodious and profitable as it makes the earth yeelde great aboundanee of fruite. They call this dung guano , whereof the valley hath taken the name, which they call Limnguana, [ Lunaguana in the original J in the valleys of Peru, where they use this dung, and it is the most fertile of all that countre. The quinces, poungranets, and other fruites there, ex eeede all other in bountie and greatnes: and they say the reason is, for that the water where with they water it passeth by a land compassed with'this dung, wijich causeth the beautie of this fruite. So as these birds have not only the. flesh to serve for raeate, their singing for recrea tion, their fouthers for ornament and beautie, but also their dung serves to fatten the ground. The which hath bin so appointed by the sover aigne Creator for the service of man, that he might remember to acknowledge and be loyall to Him from whom all good proceedes." There is a mention of this substance in 1610, in a little work then printed, called the Art of Metalls, translated from the Spanish.. Although the title pago of that edition does not mention the name of the translator, he is known to have been Edward Montagu, Earl of Sandwich. At page 16 is tho passage alluded to : • Cardanua. amongst his curiosities, makes found); they were fain to dig very deep mines to come at it It was white; and after they had separated the plate it contained, they manured their tilth-fields with the earth, which were put in heart thereby for one hundred years after. Out of islands in tho South Sea, not far from the city of-Arica, they fetch earth that doth the samo effect as the last afore-mentioned. It is called Guano (i. e. dung); not because it is the dung of sea-fowls (as many would have it), but because of its admirable virtue in making ploughed ground fertile. And that which is brought from the island of Jqueyque is of a dark gray colour, like unto tobacco ground small. Although from other islands near Arica they get a white earth, inclining to sallow, of the same virtue. It instantly colours water Where into it is put, as if it was the best ley, and smells very strong. The qualities and virtues of this, and of many other samples of the new world, are a large field for ingenious discourse philosophically upon, when they shall bend their minds to the searching out of truth, rather than riches.” THE WANDERING JEW. The legend of a Jew ever wandering and never dying, evezf from the crucifixion of Christ to this day, has spread over many European countries. The accounts, however, as in full fa bles, disagree. One version is this: When Je sus was led to death, oppressed by the weight of the cross, he wished to rest himself near the gate at the house of a shoemaker named Ahas uerus. This man, however, sprang forth and thrust him away'. Jesus turned towards him, saying, “ I shall rest, but thou shalt move on till I return.” And from that time he has had no rest, and is obliged, incessantly, to wander s about. Another version is that given by Mathias Pa risiensis, a monk of tbm 13th century : When Jesus was led from tho tribunal of Pilate to death the door-keeper, named Cartafflious, pursued him from behind with his foot, saying, “ Walk on Jesus, quickly; why dost thou tarry?” Je sus looked at him gravely, and said, “ I walk on, but thou shalt tarry till I come.” And this man is still alive, wanders from place to place, iu constant dread of tb* wrath to com*-. A third legend &*Ms that this w*ndenng Jew falls sick every-® imdred year* but recovers and renews his strength; hence it is that, even after so mapr'centuries, h® does not look much older thiur a Septuagenarian. Thus much for the legends. Not one of the ancient authorities makes t>Tt:ri mention of an account. The first wio reports some such thing is a monk of the 13tli century, when, as is known, the world was filled with pious fiction, even to disgust However, the story has spread far, so that it has become a proverb, “He runs about like the Wandering Jew.” But when their evidence is examined by the test of histori cal credibility, it is found that some impostor had made use of this fable to impose upon sim ple minded people for some purpose of his own. However, the legend is not altogether untrue; there is a wandering Jew who royes about Eu rope, every century. This imperishable being is—prejudice against the Jews. — [Jewish Chro nicle. Mu. PitEscorr s bequest to the Library of Harvard College has taken efleet by -the trans fer to that institution of two hundred and eigh ty-two volumes, some of them MSS., and oth e’rs of great variety, forming the entire collec tion of his original materials for the “History or Ferdinand and Isabella,” Auose —Unwelcome truths. NO. 51. i