of the Exe to that of the Tyne, would find a succession of fertile hills and valleys, thickly overspread with towns and cities, and in many parts crowded with a manufacturing population, whose industry is maintained by the coal with which the strata of these districts are abundantly interspersed. "A third foreigner might travel from the coast of Dorset to the coast of Yorkshire, over elevated plains of oolitic limestone, or of chalk, without a single mountain, or mine, or coal-pit, or any important manufactory, and occupied by a population almost exclusively agricultural. "Let us suppose these three strangers to meet at the termination of their journeys, and to compare their respective observations: how widely different then would be the results to which each would have arrived respecting the actual condition of Great Britain *." These differences would have arisen from the peculiar geological structure of the different parts of our island. And in a similar manner, the student in geology, if he would become acquainted by personal observation with the various strata, must direct his course with due consideration, and not expect to meet with the whole series in a limited district, but only to accomplish it by extensive and judicious travel and research. WHEN 'mongst yon venerable oaks I rove, He gave each towering trunk to rise, He spread THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE MONTHS. Then came old February, sitting SPENSER. In an old wagon, for he could not ride, Drawne of two fishes for the season fitting, Which through the flood before did softly slyde And swim away; yet had he by his side His plough and harnesse fit to till the ground, And tooles to prune the trees, before the pride Of hasting prime did make them burgeon round THE name of this month is derived from the Roman custom of burning expiatory sacrifices, called FebCalendarium Naturale, PRIMAVERALIS, or the first day rualia. The first day of the month is called in the of early Spring. Still, however, the early part of the month belongs to Winter; and although the cold is considerably diminished, and the ice everywhere begins to melt, yet the aspect of nature is gloomy-the fleshy verdure which makes them look so beautiful trees appear like lifeless skeletons, with none of that in Summer-the skies are cold and their aspect is inviting-the air is either damp and foggy or cold gray-our favourite country walks are miry and unand keen-we feel inclined to wonder where the feathered tribe can find a home, and where they can procure their food: let one of Scotland's sweetest poets answer us. The fowls of heaven, Tamed by the cruel season, crowd around At this time of the year, when the ice and snow are suddenly melted by a thaw, accompanied by a south wind and much rain, great injury is done to the country by torrents of water from the hills, whereby brooks and rivers are swollen beyond the limits of their beds; the ice is broken up with great violence, and, borne along by the flood, is dashed against barges and bridges, sometimes to the destruction of both; the fields are often inundated, trees and embankments, and sometimes cattle, washed away, and, in the course of a few hours, great losses of property are sustained. The thaw is often succeeded by frost and snow, and the alternations from cold to mild weather are frequent. As the month advances, we observe many harbingers of Spring, both in the animal and vegetable world. The sweet notes of the woodlark are heard, and the raven and the rook begin to repair their nests; geese begin to lay, and the thrush and the chaffinch are already tuning their sweet pipes; the wood-owls are ready with their hoot, and towards night partridges begin to be heard making their wellknown harsh noise; the missel, blackbird, wren, and robin are in song, and may be heard, even in frosty weather. In warm days the bees begin to show signs of their active industry, and red butterflies, which have concealed themselves within our houses during winter, sometimes fly about our rooms. On fine days gnats and some other insects commence their sports; the hedge-sparrow chirps his ineffectual song; skylarks sing on sunny mornings, and the field-lark enlivens the stubble-fields with his brilliant notes. As soon as the earth is softened, (says Aikin,) moles go to work in throwing up their hillocks. Under some of the largest, a little below the surface of the ground, they make their nests of moss, in which four or five young are found at a time. These animals feed on worms, beetles, and the roots of plants. They do much mischief in gardens, by loosening and devouring flower-roots, and in the fields by rendering the surface of the soil unequal by their hillocks, which obstruct the scythe in mowing. They are also accused of piercing the sides of dams and canals, and letting out the water; the strong muscles of their fore-feet, together with their hand-like form, admirably fit this animal for swimming; and it has lately been observed, that in this way moles pass from the shore to the little islands in some of the Scotch lakes. The vegetable world now also presents us with a few heralds of the young Spring: many plants rise up, but few flowers are hardy enough to appear. The delicate snowdrop has prepared its modest bell by Candlemas-eve, and sometimes earlier: hence the poetic terms of our lady of February," "the fair maid of February," and "Purification flower," have been applied to it in Roman Catholic times. Already now the snowdrop dares appear, The first, pale blossom of the unripened year; Its name and hue the scentless plant retains, And winter lingers in its icy veins.--BARBauld. In mild weather an occasional primrose is found flowering on warm banks: but the general time for flowering is a month or two later. Hyacinths flower to their water glasses, and afford a graceful ornament in our rooms. Mosses and lichens are rich and various, and will reward the close attention of the lover of nature. The green leaves of the daffodil appear the red primrose, and the yellow Spring crocus; polyanthuses and daisies, occasionally, and in sheltered situations, begin to display their charms: the periwinkle creeps along, bearing its small blue flower: the common pilewort, or lesser celandine, that " prophet of delight and mirth," must not be forgotten, with its little yellow stars, like gems on the wood sides, especially as that true poet of nature, Words worth, has written such beautiful lines in its praise. The elder-tree now puts forth its flower-buds; the catkins of the hazel are apparent in the hedges; gooseberry and currant trees put forth young leaves by the end of the month; and the ascent of sap in plants and trees is one of the wonderful preparatives of the scene of vernal life and beauty, of freshness and vitality, which makes Spring the most delicious time of the year. From dearth to plenty, and from death to life, A soul in all things, and that soul is Gon.—COWPER. As soon as the ground is sufficiently thawed the farmer begins his work in the fields; he ploughs up his fallows, and sows Spring wheat, beans, and peas; sets early potatoes; drains wet lands; dresses and repairs hedges; lops trees, and plants those which thrive best in a wet soil, such as poplars and willows. In clear weather the southern sky displays a grand exhibition of stars: the brilliant stars Sirius and Procyon, and those composing the beautiful constellation of Orion, remaining visible all night. We cannot better conclude this article, than by calling the reader's attention to one of the two poems by Wordsworth, to which we have already alluded. This little poem is generally quoted, we know not for what reason, in a mutilated form; we prefer, however, to give it as the poet wrote it, without marring its beauty by making it incomplete. TO THE SMALL CELANDINE. PANSIES, lilies, kingcups, daisies, Let them live upon their praises; Long as there's a sun that sets, Primroses will have their glory; Long as there are violets, They will have a place in story; There's a flower that shall be mine, 'Tis the little Celandine. Eyes of some men travel far, Since the day I found thee out, 'Twas a face I did not know; Thou hast now, go where I may Fifty greetings in a day. Ere a leaf is on a bush, In the time before the thrush That they all are wanton wooers; But the thrifty cottager, Who stirs little out of doors, Joys to spy thee near her home; Spring is coming, Thou art come! Comfort have thou of thy merit, Kindly, unassuming spirit! Careless of thy neighbourhood, Thou dost show thy pleasant face On the moor, and in the wood, In the lane-there's not a place, But 'tis good enough for thec. Whether we will see or no ; They have done as worldlings do, Taken praise that should be thine, Little, humble Celandine! Prophet of delight and mirth, Of a joyous train ensuing, In the lanes my thoughts pursuing, I will sing as doth behove, ON EARLY IMPRESSIONS. So powerful is the effect of first impressions and habits, that though a man may succeed in freeing his mind from prejudices, they will still retain some power over his imagination and his affections; and, therefore, however well he may speculate, his opinions will lose their power in situations where practical assistance is required; when his temper may be soured by misfortune, or ill-health, or when he may be exposed to the contagion of popular errors. How different teries of that period were deeply in debt. At the dissolution of monastic establishments in the reign. of Henry the Eighth, the endowments of Kirkstall Abbey amounted to 3297. 2s. 11d. per annum, by Dugdale's computation, or 5127. 13s. 4d. according to Speed. It was surrendered by John Ripley, the last abbot, November 22, 1540, the thirty-first of the reign of Henry VIII., by whom the site was granted to Thomas Cranmer, archbishop of Canter would be the case were education conducted from the | beginning with judgment! Were pains taken to impress truth and virtue on the mind in early infancy, what aid would they not receive from the imagination and the heart, trained to conspire with them in the same direction! What advantages might not be derived from a proper attention to early impressions and associations, in giving support to those principles which are connected with human happiness! Let me suppose the happy period arrived when all the prepos-bury, and his heirs, in exchange for other land. In sessions of childhood and youth were directed to support the pure and sublime truths of religion and morality: they would assist and fortify our reason against the sceptical suggestions of irreligion, disappointment, and melancholy. Our daily experience may convince us how susceptible the tender mind is of deep impressions, and what important and permanent effects are produced on the characters and happiness of individuals, by the casual associations formed in childhood. It is the business of education, not to counteract this constitution of nature, but to direct it. If it be possible for the influence of fashion to veil the native deformity of vice, and to give to low and sordid, and criminal pursuits and indulgences the appearance of spirit, of elegance, and of gaiety, can we doubt the possibility of connecting in the tender mind those pleasing associations with pursuits that are truly honourable and noble?-DUGALD STuart. KIRKSTALL ABBEY, YORKSHIRE. KIRKSTALL ABBEY is considered to be one of the most beautiful specimens of architectural ruins now to be found in England, and is one that has engaged the attention of numerous antiquaries, architects, and painters. It is situated in Yorkshire, in the lovely vale of the Aire, near the north bank of that river, and about three miles westward of the town of Leeds. The abbey dates its origin in the year 1152. Henry de Lacey, being in a bad state of health, made a vow, that if he should recover, he would build an abbey in honour of the Blessed Virgin, and of the Cistercian Order. Accordingly, upon the recovery of his health, he gave the town of Bernoldswick, with its appurtenances, for this purpose; and the name was then changed to St. Mary's Mount. In 1147, Alexander, prior of Fountains Abbey*, was made first abbot of the new abbey then to be built; and on the 18th of May, with twelve monks and ten converts, he left Fountains Abbey, and located himself on St. Mary's Mount, the place being confirmed to him by the Archbishop of York. Here they appear to have suffered many privations until the abbey was ready for their reception; but it was at length completed, Henry de Lacey, who made the first grant, being at the whole expense of the erection, himself laying the first stone. Hugh Bigot, earl of Norfolk, afterwards claimed the lordship of Bernoldswick; and the abbot thence held it of him for five marks per annum; but at the request of Henry the Second, the earl afterwards made a free gift of it to the monks. During the life of this abbot, the buildings were extended by the addition of a church, dormitories both for monks and lay-brothers, refectory, cloister and chapter-house. The revenues of the abbey were so well managed, that, at a visitation in the year 1301, the monks of this establishment were found to have 216 draught oxen, 160 cows, 152 yearlings and bullocks, 90 calves, 4000 sheep and lambs; while their debts amounted to only 1607. :-we say only, for many of the monas*See Saturday Magazine, Vol. X V., p. 223. the reign of Edward the Sixth, the royal licence was granted to the Archbishop, to alienate the said premises to Peter Hammond and others, for the use of Thomas, a younger son of the Archbishop, and his heirs. It subsequently passed through several hands, and is now the property of the Earl of Cardigan. Not many years after the dissolution of the abbey, various parts of the materials were carried away piecemeal. The lead from the roof, the bells, and everything of value which could be removed, were taken away for the king's use immediately after the dissolution; and subsequently the good people of Leeds resorted to the deserted abbey as a quarry whence they might procure stones for building; but its distance of three miles from the town, together with the increased use of brick, happily prevented these depredations from effecting the entire destruction of the building. But, as it has been observed, it is to the neglect of two centuries and a half, the unregarded growth of ivy, and the maturity of vast elms and other forest trees, which have been suffered to spring up among the walls, that Kirkstall has become, as a single object, one of the picturesque and beautiful ruins in the kingdom. The general architectural merit of this abbey has been stated by Dr. Whitaker, the learned historian of Leeds, in the following words: The great merit of this structure, as a study for those who are desirous of assigning by internal evidence a proper date to every ancient building, is its unity of design and execution. Kirkstall Abbey is a monument of the skill, the taste, and the perseverance of a single man. Accordingly, thought, no deviations from the first plan. Not only the there are in the original fabric no appearances of afterarrangement, the proportions, and relations of the different apartments, are rigidly conformed to that peculiar principle which prevailed in the construction of religious houses, erected for, rather than at the expense of, the monks; but every moulding and ornament appears to have been wrought from models previously studied and adapted to the general the columns of the church are massy as the cylinders of the plan. Deviating by one step from the pure Norman style, former age, but channeled rather than clustered. The capitals are Norman, the intercolumniations, though narrow, yet nearly one-third wider than those of the most massy Saxon. The whole building appears to be of the early Norman style, with the exception of some ornaments in the turretted and pinnacled style, and the upper part of the tower, which are of the age of Henry the Seventh and the Eighth. The church is in the form of a cross, and had a lofty tower, which remained entire until about sixty years ago, when an accident occurred which appears to have thus originated. The great kitchen of Kirkstall, together with a suite of apartments extending eastward from the south-east corner of the quadrangle towards the foundations of the abbot's lodgings, is of much later date than the rest; and an imprudent superstructure on the original tower, which rose but little above the acute-angled roof of the church, overweighed one of the four great columns at the intersection, which, after giving warning of its approaching fall for several years, was suddenly crushed by the vast superincumbent pile, on Wednesday night, Jan. 27, 1779, and brought down in its ruin more than two sides of the tower. Considered 48 THE SATURDAY MAGAZINE. merely as a ruin, the effect of the church was perhaps improved by the catastrophe; but the visible detachment of the end of the north transept, and above all of the great east window, from the adjoining walls, threatened to reduce the whole to ruin. The chapter-house, which still remains nearly entire, is partly a remnant of the original structure, and partly an enlargement shortly before the dissolution. The refectory was a vaulted room, supported by cylindrical columns, each consisting of a single stone. The dormitory is supposed by some to have been over the set of buildings that verge to the southward from the transepts, while others suppose that this part of the monastery was placed over the range which communicates with the south-west angle of the church. The cloister-court, or quadrangle, represented in our engraving, surrounds a range of buildings; and from this court, as Dr. Whitaker justly observes, the varied perspective, the broken masses of alternate light and shade diversifying the gloom, must have been admirably adapted to the solemnity of the moThe cloister-court is now preserved from nastic life. intrusion as an orchard, but it was formerly the cemetery not only of the monks, but also of the wealthy iaity in the neighbouring country. A few fragments of gravestones and crosses remain, but there is only one remnant of an inscription, on which little more is visible than the word RICARD, in old English characters. The lavatory, near the south-east corner, has been richly adorned; westward from this was the refectory, a groined and not very spacious apartment. The original windows of the abbey have been single round-headed lights, the first enlargement of the was never intended for glass. For though Benedict genuine Saxon and early Norman loophole, which ment into his church at Jarrow, the use of it does not Biscop is known to have introduced this great improveappear to have been general among the Saxons, and the narrow apertures in their massy walls evidently point at a struggle between the admission of light and the exclusion of cold. But no sooner (says Dr. Whitaker) did the use of glass become general, than windows began to expand, first inte broader single lights, and next into two, included in the of painted glass to have suggested the necessity of widelyaweep of one common arch, but I conceive the introduction ramified windows, first, perhaps for the purpose of displaying an extended surface of vivid colouring, or a large group of a wider surface, for the quantity of light excluded by their historical figures, and, secondly, in order to compensate, by tints. This idea, which I have never met with before, is we read of, at least in the north of England, was in the posconfirmed by chronology. The earliest stained glass which session of the monks of Rivaulx about the year 1140. this precise period, the narrow single lights began to expand; and as the use of it grew more and more general, the surfaces of windows became wider and more diversified. At It is a curious circumstance, that within a few days This after the fall of the tower before alluded to, several fragments of little tobacco-pipes, or at least smoking pipes, were discovered imbedded in the mortar. has been considered as a proof that long before the introduction of tobacco from America, the practice of inhaling the smoke of some indigenous vegetable prevailed in England. LONDON; Published by JOHN W. PARKER, WEST STRAND, and sold by all Booksellers. |