Pot-pourri from a Surrey garden

When taken up by the Queen and the Prince Consort, he built in 1851 that wonderful and ever-to-be-remembered glass case, in Hyde Park, the first general International Exhibition, which enclosed two large elms. Poor trees ! how they hated it ! Their drooping autumnal appearance is my strongest childish remembrance of that Exhibition. Paxton was knighted by the Queen, and partly built the Crystal Palace at Sydenham with the remains of the Hyde Park Exhibition. 1835. Culpepper's 'Complete Herbal.' A republica- tion of his original ' Epistle to the Eeader ' is darted from Q 226 POT-POURRI FROM A SURREY GARDEN 1 Spitalfields, next door to the Bed Lion, September 5, 1653.' The frontispiece has Culpepper's portrait — a sharp amiable face, with long hair, a white collar, and a Puritan dress. Below is a little picture of the upright, modern-looking London house, surrounded though it is by fields, in which he lived and died. The instructions for ' the right use of the book ' are so curious that I may as well copy them : ' And herein let me premise a word or two. The herbs, plants, &c., are now in the book appropriated to their proper planets. Therefore, first consider what planet causes disease ; that thou mayst find it in my aforesaid judgement of diseases. Secondly, consider what part of the body is afflicted by the disease, and whether it lies in the flesh, or blood, or bone, or ventricles. 'Thirdly, consider by what planet the afflicted part of the body is governed ; that my judgement of disease will inform you also. ' Fourthly, you may oppose diseases by Herbs of the planet opposite to the planet that causes them, as diseases of Jupiter by Herbs of Mercury, and the con- trary ; diseases of the Luminaries by the Herbs of Saturn, and the contrary ; diseases of Mars by Herbs of Venus, and the contrary. ' Fifthly, there is a way to cure diseases sometimes by Sympathy, and so every planet cures his own disease ; as the Sun and Moon by their Herbs cure the Eyes, Saturn the Spleen, Jupiter the Liver, Mars the gall and diseases of choler, and Venus diseases in the instruments of Generation. 1 (Signed) NIGH. CULPEPPER.' The whole book runs- on the same lines. Of course it can only have been re-published as late as 1835 as a curiosity. NOVEMBER 227 1835. 'The Language of Flowers, with Illustrative Poetry.' Inseparable from a collection of flower-books of this period is one example at least of the curious childish sentiment — or, rather, of the sentimentality which was the fashion of the day. The frontispiece is a little bouquet of flowers which means, being interpreted, 'Your beauty and modesty have forced from me a declaration of Love.' It is always the woman's fault, somehow, in all times. The little book is dedicated to the Duchess of Kent. The ' illustrative ' flower- writing is curious, and the dictionary of the language of flowers very arbitrary. How utterly the whole thing has passed away 1 The outside of the little book, bound in stamped green silk, is rather pretty. 1837. ' Amaryllidaceae,' by the Honourable and Eeverend William Herbert, and dedicated to Leopold, King of the Belgians. This book is very botanical, and dry to the ordinary reader, though, I should think, com- prehensibly descriptive and interesting to the student. The drawings are good and delicate, and very slightly coloured.