234 ON THE KEEPS OF ANCIENT CASTLES. 



worthy of remark that, as a general rule, in flowers which are erect 

 the stamens are longer than the pistil ; but in those which are pen- 

 dulous, as the fuchsia, the pistil is longer than the stamens. 



In plants in which the stamens and pistils are on separate flowers, 

 but on the same plant, or on separate plants, then it is that the vege- 

 table economy is so much indebted to the rambles of the bee, the 

 butterfly, or any other insect taking its summer's day airing, either 

 in search of food or pleasure ; these little insects, "roving about from 

 flower to flower," convey the pollen from the anther of the one to the 

 stigma of the other, thus answering the beautiful designs of an all- 

 wise and beneficent Creator. 



J. H. G. 



ON THE KEEPS OF ANCIENT CASTLES. 



On an eminence in the centre, commonly, though not always, 

 stood the keep or dungeon of ancient castles ; sometimes, as in the 

 relation of the seige of Bedford Castle, emphatically called the tower; 

 it was the citadel, or last retreat of the garrison, often sun'ounded 

 by a ditch and occasionally with an outer wall garnished with small 

 towers. In large castles it was generally a square tower of four or 

 five stories high, having turrets at each angle ; in these turrets were 

 the staircases, and frequently, as at Dover and Rochester Castles, a 

 well. If, instead of square, the keep or dungeon happened to be 

 round, it was called a juUiet, from a vulgar opinion that large round 

 towers were built by Julius Caesar. 



The walls of this edifice were always of an extraordinary thickness, 

 which has enabled them to outlive the other buildings, and to with- 

 stand the united injuries of time and weather ; the keeps or dungeons 

 being almost the only parts remaining of our ancient castles. 



