632 The Spirit of the Woods. 



ing how few persons are acquainted with even the English 

 names of several of the more common and useful species. — 

 The list, however, is far from being a long one ; and we 

 think the possessors of this volume will hardly pass a'tree 

 which they may not have previously known, without recognis- 

 ing its species, and calling to mind some remark or other 

 which may here be found respecting it. 



But we have perhaps not sufficiently denned the exact na- 

 ture of the work of which we are speaking so favourably. It 

 treats, then, of the British trees. — A coloured engraving of 

 the fruit and leaves of each species, is accompanied by ob- 

 servations upon its natural properties, and the historical as- 

 sociations with which it may chance to be connected, ^while 

 the tree itself is made the subject of a poem. 



It is not often that poetical extracts appear in our pages, 

 but we venture upon one quotation. The subject is 



The Ivy. — Hedera Helix. 



" Hast thou e'er seen the moon's soft, splendour 

 Sleep, peaceful, on some ruin'd pile, 

 Gilding with radiance mild and tender 

 Each broken arch and mouldering aisle ? 



Hast thou e'er seen the ivy clinging 



Round fragments broken and decay 'd, 

 As if its mantling wreaths 'twere flinging 



To hide the breaches time had made ? 



Oh ! thus, should care or sorrow wound thee 



Be friendship's soft endearments thine ! 

 And fondest sympathy around thee 



As close her thousand tendrils twine ! 



And when, at last, each youthful token 



Shall yield to wasting and decay, 

 And thou, like arch or column broken, 



Shalt feel proud manhood's strength give way ; 



Oh ! then may love, by time unshaken, 



Around its earliest prop still cling ; 

 (For when was mouldering arch forsaken 



By the fond wreath it caused to spring ?) 



Still may one smile, as moonbeam tender, 



E'en to the last unwearied shine, 

 Gilding thy manhood's waning splendour ; 



And Oh ! may that one smile be mine !" 



