On the right bank of the Rhine, upon the summit of a rocky hill, directly opposite to the city of Coblentz, stands the Castle of Ehrenbreitstein ("the broad stone of honor.") It is now one of the strongest fortresses in Europe, both in respect of its natural position, and its artificial defences. It was originally a Roman camp, was renovated in 1160, and afterwards repaired and enlarged by the Elector John, Margrave of Baden, who dug a well of the depth of 230 feet, which was afterwards sunk 300 feet further. During the revolutionary war, the castle was exposed to many hazards. General Marceau blockaded it for a month when the French army first passed the Rhine, in September 1795. It was twice blockaded in 1796, and cannonaded the second time from the neighboring heights of Pfaffendorf and Arzheim, without sustaining any injury. The French got possession of the height of Rellenkopf, but without any further success, and the retreat of General Jourdan obliged them to raise the siege. It was again blockaded in 1797 by the French General Hoche, who kept it so till the peace of Léoben; and in 1798 it was once more blockaded by the French, whilst the Congress of Radstadt was sitting, and was reduced to such a state of famine, that the defenders are said to have lived, among other things, upon cats and horseflesh; cats being sold at three francs each, and horse-flesh at a franc per pound. In spite of the exertions of the commandant, Colonel Faber, and his earnest representations to the Congress, the castle was left to its fate, and finally surrendered to the French in January 1799. The French blew up and otherwise destroyed great part of the works; and the view above given shows it in the state to which it was reduced by them. The convention of Paris at the termination of the war, in 1815, determined to reestablish the fortifications, and Ehrenbreitstein, with the adjoining fortifications of the Chartreuse and Petersberg, is now the most important fortress of the German frontier. The ancient monastery of the Chartreuse commands the approaches from Mayence and Hundsruch; Peters berg, those of Treves and Cologne; and Ehren breitstein, the Rhine and the road from Nassau The form and durability of the new works have been much admired. They have been constructed from the plans of Montalembert and Carnot, and the castle has received the official name of "Fort Frederick William," from the present King of Prussia. The works are shown to visiters, on their obtaining permission of the commandant. The view from the summit of the castle is a very rich and extensive one. Before you is Coblentz, its bridge of boats, and its two islands on the Rhine; behind it, the village and the beautiful ruins of the Chartreuse, upon a hill covered with vines and fruit-trees. The scope of the view embraces more than thirty towns and villages. The Rhine flows majestically beneath it, and is here at about the widest part of its course. The space of about 120 miles between Mayence and Cologne, in which Coblentz stands midway, is that where the Rhine is broadest, and its scenery the most picturesque. The view of this old castle naturally leads us to reflect on the degree in which modern Europe has ceased to resemble the classic ages in which Ehrenbreitstein was founded, or the feudal ages to which so much of its history belongs. It still bears the name of "the broad stone of honor," though many say that the days of honor have passed away with the days of chivalry. But if honor, in these times, has become rather a synoymous term for honesty and good faith, than the fantastic touchstone of chivalry, we have gained greatly by the change. The middle ages were not without their virtues, but they were all of a romantic kind. In the present times, it is to the inculcation of practical morality, the establishment of just laws, and the influence of a due sense of the plain and simple truths of religion, that we must look for the advancement of integrity and virtue among communities. The middle ages were too fertile in oppression, in crime, and in misery, to be regarded with any thing like regret that their character and spirit have not been stamped upon the times in which we are living. DECISION OF CHARACTER. You may recollect the mention, in one of our conversations, of a young man who wasted in two or three years a large patrimony, in profligate revels with a number of worthless associates calling themselves his friends, till his means were exhausted, when they of course treated him with neglect or contempt. Reduced to absolute want, he one day went out of the house with an intention to put an end to his life; but wandering awhile almost unconsciously, he came to the brow of an eminence which overlooked what were lately his estates. Here he sat down, and remained fixed in thought a number of hours, at the end of which he sprang from the ground with a vehement exulting emotion. He had formed his resolution, which was, that all these estates should be his again; he had formed his plan too, which he instantly began to execute. He walked hastily forward, determined to seize the very first opportunity, of however humble a kind, to gain any money, though it were ever so despicable a trifle, and resolved absolutely not to spend, if he could help it, a farthing of whatever he might obtain. The first thing that drew his attention was a heap of coals shot out of carts on the pavement before a house. He offered himself to shovel or wheel them into the place where they were to be laid, and was employed. He received a few pence for the labor; and then, in pursuance of the saving part of his plan, requested some small gratuity of meat and drink, which was given him. He then looked out for the next thing that might chance to offer; and went with indefatigable industry through a succession of servile employments, of longer or shorter duration, still scrupulously avoiding, as far as possible, the expense of a penny. He promptly seized every opportunity which could advance his design, without regarding the meanness of occupation or appearance. By this method he had gained, after a considerable time, money enough to purchase, in order to sell again, a few cattle, of which he had taken pains to understand the value. He speedily but cautiously turned his first gains into second advantages; retained without a single deviation his extreme parsimony; and thus advanced by degrees into larger transactions and incipient wealth. I did not hear, or have forgotten, the continued course of his life: but the final result was, that he more than recovered his lost possessions, and died an inveterate misor, worth 60,0001. SUPERSTITION OF THE HORSESHOE. The horseshoe was, of old, held to be of especial service as a security against the attacks of evil spirits. This virtue may have been assigned, perhaps, by the rule of contraries, from its being a thing incompatible with the cloven foot of the Evil One; or from the rude resemblance which the horseshoe bears to the rays of glory which, in ancient pictures, are made to surround the heads of saints and angels; or, finally, from some notion of its purity acquired in passing through the fire. This latter supposition receives some countenance from the method resorted to for the cure of horses that had become vicious, or afflicted by any distemper which village farriery did not understand; such disease was invariably attributed to witchcraft, and the mode of cure seems to imply the belief that the imperfect purification by fire of the shoes which the animal wore, had afforded an inlet to malevolent influences. Accordingly, the horse was led into the smithy; the door was closed and barred; the shoes were taken off, and placed in the fire, and the witch or warlock was speedily under the necessity of removing the spell under which the animal suffered. We have a farther proof that the efficacy of fire constituted a part of the virtues inherent in the horseshoe, in the manner of reclaiming bewitched milk. All who have the management of a dairy know that at certain seasons of the year butter will not "come " from cream, nor milk be converted into curd, with the same ease as at others. The modern reasoners on the causes of things look upon this as being occasioned by the sort of food the cattle take; but all the farmers' wives of last century knew perfectly well that it was the effect of nothing else but some envious person's evil eye; and they took their measures accordingly. On the return of the milkmaids with their milking pails upon their heads, when the foremost took down her vessel in order to pass under the door-way, the mistress was ready to drop a horseshoe heated redhot into the milk. It was necessary that the ceremony should be performed at the instant when the young woman was lowering the pail; and as it was farther required that no one should be aware of the good dame's intention, the troop of milkmaids was often thrown into the utmost dismay by the sudden bubbling and hissing, and the screams of their companion more immediately concerned. The loss of the whole meal of milk was the usual consequence, to say nothing of the work created for the cooper; but these were matters of inferior importance, the future productiveness of the milk being an ample set-off against lesser mischances— and that, it need scarcely be added, was invariably secured. A horseshoe was commonly nailed upon the doors of the cow-houses; but this was not at all times a sufficient protection, as in summer the cows were not driven home at night, but milked a-field, and shut up in an open enclosure. When people began to be half ashamed of superstition, instead of nailing the horseshoe on the outside, they fixed ft to the inside of the doors both of dwelling-houses and farm-offices; and in that situation it may at this day be detected in many parts of the country. Thus the devil, though not openly defied, might come to burn his fingers if he were to attempt an entrance. Sailors are, or were, for the most part, careful to have a horseshoe nailed to the mizzen-mast, or somewhere on deck near midships, for the protection of the vessel. The Chinese have their tombs built in the shape of the horseshoe, as we are informed by Captain Hall, in his voyage to Loo Choo; which custom is very curious, as it may be fairly regarded as a branch of the superstition prevalent among ourselves. SUMMER AND THE POET. ΡΟΣΤ. Oh' golden, golden summer, Thou hast chased each vernal roamer Glad was the cuckoo's hail; Where may we hear it now? Thou hast driven the nightingale From the waving hawthorn bough. Thou hast shrunk the mighty river; Thou hast made the small brook flee And the light gales faintly quiver In the dark and shadowy tree. Spring waked her tribes to bloom, And on the greensward dance. Thou hast smitten them to the tomb, With thy consuming glance. And now Autumn cometh on, Singing 'midst shocks of corn, Thou hastenest to be gone, As if joy might not be borne. SUMMER. And dost thou of me complain, Thou, who didst deem divine Gushed through the woods at noon? I have run my fervid race; I have wrought my task once more; There is treasure for the garner; Sere Autumn yields his reign, Then shall these scenes Elysian INFLUENCE OF THE MOON. A late number of the Foreign Quarterly Review contains a notice of some scientific inquiries, made by a French gentleman, M. Arago, into the influence of the moon. The first question, which M. Arago undertakes to examine, is, whether the moon exercises any influence on the rain; and the result of his investigations is, that, if certain observations may be relied upon, it rains more frequently during the increase than during the wane of the moon. The influence of the moon on the terrestrial atmosphere seems also to be rendered evident by observations of a different kind, namely, the mean heights of the barometer at the different lunar phases. The conclusion of M. Arago is, however, that the inequalities of pressure indicated by observation must be referred to some cause different from attraction; to some cause certainly depending on the moon, but of which the nature and mode of action still remain to be discovered." 66 Among the ancients the opinion was universally entertained that the different aspects of the moon furnish sure prognostics of the future state of the weather. "If," says Aratus, "on the third day of the moon the horns of the crescent are sharp and well defined, the sky will continue serene during the whole of the month." This is a notion which we believe to be very prevalent at the present day among the farmers of our own country. The following is the commentary of Arago. "In reality, when the moon in the evening begins to disengage herself from the sun's rays, she has always the form of a crescent, terminated by two very sharp horns; but if the atmosphere happens to be troubled, the horns appear enlarged. This enlargement, however, is a mere optical illusion, and is occasioned by strongly illuminated clouds, in apparent contact with the moon, and seeming to form a constituent part of her body. The fine extremities of the crescent are then lost as it were in the parasitical light which surrounds the moon, and become invisible to the naked eye. All this is rendered evident by employing a telescope, which destroys the illusion." Many other aphorisms of the same nature might be quoted from Aratus, Theon, Theophratus, Pliny, and other ancient writers on rural affairs. But they may be dismissed with the general remark that they had their origin in that ignorance which confounds signs with causes, and are now disregarded, excepting by the most illiterate and credulous. They are besides at total variance with the theory of the influence of the phases. "It is generally believed, especially in the neighborhood of Paris, that the moon, in certain months, has a great influence on the phenomena of vegetation. The gardeners give the name of red moon (lune rousse) to the moon which, beginning in April, becomes full either about the end of that month, or more usually in the course of May. In the months of April and May the moon, according to them, exercises a pernicious influence on the young shoots of plants. They maintain that they have observed during the night, when the sky is clear, the leaves and buds exposed to this light to become red, that is to say, to be frozen, although the thermometer, in the free atmosphere, stood several degrees above the freezing point. They also assert, that if the rays of the moon are intercepted by clouds, and thereby prevented from reaching the plants, the same effects do not take place, under circumstances perfectly similar in other respects with regard to temperature. Now it has been proved by Dr. Wells, that terrestrial substances, excepting in the case of a very rapid evaporation, may acquire during the night, $13569B a different temperature from that of the surrounding air. On placing little masses of cotton, down, &c. in the open air, it is frequently observed they acquire a temperature of six, seven, or even eight centigrade degrees below that of the surrounding atmosphere. The same is the case with vegetables. We cannot therefore judge of the degree of cold with which a plant is affected during the night by the indications of a thermometer suspended in the free atmosphere: the plant may be strongly frozen, although the air remains constantly several degrees above the freezing point. These differences of temperaThese differences of temperature between solid bodies and the atmosphere only rise to six, seven or eight degrees of the thermometer, when the sky is perfectly clear. If the sky is clouded, they become insensible. "It is now necessary to point out the connexion between these phenomena and the opinions of the country people regarding the April moon. "In the nights of April and May the temperature of the atmosphere is frequently only 4, 5, or 6 centigrade degrees above zero. When this happens, plants exposed to the moon,-that is to say, to a clear sky, may be frozen, notwithstanding the indications of the thermometer. If the moon, on the contrary, does not shine-in short, if the sky is cloudy, the temperature of the plants does not fall below that of the atmosphere, and they will consequently not be frozen unless the thermometer indicates zero. It is therefore quite true, as the gardeners pretend, that under thermometrical circumstances precisely alike, a plant may be frozen or not, according as the moon may be visible or concealed behind clouds. If they are deceived, it is only in their conclusion, in attributing the effect to the light of the moon. The moon's light is, in this case, only the index of a clear atmosphere; it is only in consequence of the clearness of the sky, that the nocturnal congelation of plants takes place; the moon contributes to the effect in no way whatever; although she were hid under the horizon the effect would not be different." The explanation here given is perfectly satisfactory, and may be extended to some other notions that have prevailed respecting the lunar influence. For example, it is said by Pliny and Plutarch, and is at the present day generally believed in the West Indies that the moon sheds a copious humidity on bodies exposed to her rays, and that her light hastens the putrefaction of animal substances. This opinion is, to a certain extent, countenanced by facts. "A body exposed to the light of the moon,-that is to say, to a clear sky,—becomes, in consequence of its radiation, colder than the surrounding air. Under these circumstances the air deposits a portion of its humidity on the cold surface of the body, which is neither more nor less than the phenomenon of dew, as analyzed by Doctor Wells.-Now, animal substances become much sooner putrid when moist than when dry. The observation of Pliny and Plutarch is therefore correct in all its details. It was only necessary to reform the theory, and acquit the moon of the mischief ascribed to her." We must close our extracts by quoting from the American Farmer the following remarks in reference to this subject:-" As it respects the influence of the moon on the weather, on crops, &c. we have no doubt that the general belief in it has done as much harm to the agricultural interest, as any other evil with which farmers and planters have to contend How often do farmers omit a favorable sea son to plant a crop of potatoes, &c. because it is 'not the right time of the moon.' Many people will not kill hogs or beef, unless at a particular time of the moon. And when the 'right time of the moon' does come, it is at least an equal chance that the state of the weather will not admit of these operations, or some other more necessary business must be performed, and of course they must be put off till the moon comes round again to the proper time.' Almost every body can tell what weather we are to have for the next four weeks, by looking at the new moon, and lay out their work accordingly. If the horns of the new moon are perpendicular, they say we are to have a wet moon, and at haying and harvest time, many a good crop is saved by the prompt advantage taken of every clear day; because, they say, we shall have very few such days this moon. This, to be sure, is a very useful error; but its opposite more than balances the account. When the new moon shows her horns in a horizontal position, somewhat like a section of a bowl slightly inclined upon its side, then they say we shall have dry moon, and the hay and the crops are neglected, because ‘we shall have plenty of dry weather this moon.' there is no 'old saw' more useful to farmers, than the good old adage-' make hay while the sun shines;' which means, do whatever you have to do, and can do, TO-DAY, and let the moon mind her own business, as you may be sure she is inclined to, if you will only let her alone-she cares no more for your potatoes and pork, and exercises no more influence over your operations than the man in the moon.' Now ADVANTAGE OF A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE. The mysteries of magnetism should be unfolded to the sailor, above all men, since he is the one of all others whose safety depends on its phenomena. He should be told that on electro-magnetic principles he would materially influence the march of the needle by wiping the glass which screens it-especially with silk. It is some years since a fact was communicated to me, which may be adduced in illustration; it was that of a ship which arrived at Liverpool, after having been for several weeks the sport of winds and waves; the mariner's compass having been washed overboard in a storm, their voyage was dreary and procrastinated-much caution being necessary, and despite of which, their fate, but for a fortuitous circumstance, might have been inevitably sealed. Now, had the simple fact of the extreme ease with which a mariner's needle might be made, been known to any on board, the peril might have been avoided. A sewingneedle, or the blade of a penknife, being held in an upright posture, and struck by a hammer, and subsequently floated by cork on water, or suspended by a thread without torsion,* would become a magnetic-needle, and point north and south; or the end of a poker held vertically, and passed over its surface from one extreme to the other, would impart magnetism, and which, if the needle be of steel, would be of a permanent character.-Mechanics' Magazine. A Tough Morsel. A French writer speaking of the relative situation of England and Ireland, says that the larger island devoured the smaller, but has never been able to digest it That is, without being twisted, 1 The above engraving represents the dungeon of Chillon. On the pillar to the right is Lord Byron's name, cut deep with a knife by himself before he wrote his poem on Chillon. It appears from the notes to "the Prisoner of Chillon," that the castle of Chillon is situated between Clarens and Villeneuve, which last is a' one extremity of the Lake of Geneva. On its left are the entrances of the Rhone, and opposite are the heights of Meillerie and the range of Alps above Boveret and St. Gingo. Near it, on a hill behind, is a torrent; below it, washing its walls, the lake has been fathomed to the depth of 800 feet (French measure;) within it are a range of dungeons, in which the early reformers, and subsequently prisoners of state, were confined. Across one of the vaults is a beam, black with age, on which the condemned are said to have been formerly executed. In the cells are seven pillars, or rather eight, one being half merged in the wall; in some of these are rings for the fetters and the fettered: in the pavement the steps of Bonnivard have left their traces he was confined here several years. The following extract from Byron's Prisoner of Chillon, describes the dungeon: There are seven pillars of Gothic mould, And in each ring there is a chain; For in these limbs its teeth remain, With marks that will not wear away, Till I have done with this new day, Which now is painful to these eyes, Which have not seen the sun so rise For years-1 cannot count them o'er ; HORNS OF CATTLE.. Amongst the causes which tend to the cheap production of any article, and which require additional capital, may be mentioned, the care which is taken to allow no part of the raw produce, out of which it is formed, to be absolutely wasted. An attention to this circumstance sometimes causes the union of two trades in one factory, which otherwise would naturally have been separated. An enumeration of the arts to which the horns of cattle are applicable, furnishes a striking example of this kind of economy. The tanner, who has purchased the hides, separates the horns, and sells them to the makers of combs and lanterns. The horn consists of two parts; an outward horny case, and an inward conical-shaped substance, somewhat between hardened hair and bone. The first process consists in separating these two parts, by means of a blow against a block of wood. The horny outside is then cut into three portions, by means of a frame-saw. 1. The lowest of these, next the root of the horn, after undergoing several processes, by which it is rendered flat, is made into combs. 2. The middle of the horn, after being flattened by heat, and its transparency improved by oil, is split into thin layers, and forms a substitute for glass in lanterns of the commonest kind. 3. The tip of the horn is used by the makers of knife-handles and of the tops of whips, and similar purposes. 4. The interior, or core of the horn, is boiled down in water. A large quantity of fat rises to the surface: this is put aside, and sold to the makers of yellow soap. 5. The liquid itself is used as a kind of glue, and is purchased by the cloth-dressers for stiffening. |