172 



EECEEATIVE SCIENCE. 



Ilia country. He was not greedy of money. 

 The Princess Dashkaw, commissioned by the 

 Empress of Eussia, offered him an unlimited 

 reward, if he would settle in that empire, 

 and carry out, originate, and direct the vast 

 engineering projects, which filled, and stiU 

 fills, the brains of the Czariate ; his answer 

 forms an admirable parallel to that of Andrew 

 Marvel, who, when offered a bribe, showed the 

 leg of mutton upon which he and his servant 

 had dined for three days, asking whether one 

 who enjoyed such humble fare, and was 

 content, was likely to sell himself. Smeaton 

 called out to the old woman who took care of 

 his cljambers in Gray's Inn, saying, " Money, 

 and position, and grand attendants, are little 

 to me, when this old servant suffices for all 



my wants." The Princess, unaccustomed to 

 such honesty, said, " Sir, you are a great man, 

 you may have an equal in abilities, but in 

 character you stand single. Sir Eobert Wal- 

 pole was mistaken; my sovereign has the 

 misfortune to find that there is one man who 

 has not his price." 



It was a grand thing that a simple English 

 Engineer should, in the eyes of a foreign po- 

 tentate, redeem the character of his country- 

 men, so falsely attacked by the prime mi- 

 nister of their country. The scene is worthy 

 of a great painter, worthy also to be remem- 

 bered and to be reproduced whenever English 

 genius is solicited to desert its country for 

 foreign gold. 



Hain Feiswell. 



THE YOUNG PHILOSOPHEE AT HOME— CHEMICAL EXPEEIMENTS. 



t-IH^ 



At this festive season, when red fire and 

 blue flame add their charm to the panto- 

 mime — when the young folks are to have 

 their " party" — when things that charm our 

 five senses are purposely gathered together 

 to enthral the mind, and make it love life — 

 when the eye is gratified with the graceful 

 forms that fiutter in the ball-room, the per- 

 sonification of a happy youthful dream — I 

 when the olfactoey nerve vibrates with a 

 sweet smell, like a garden at evening's close, 

 wafted from a mouchoir held with " unaf- 

 fected grace" — when the ear carries the 

 sounds of music, and plays upon the heart- 

 strings a joyful tune — when taste pro- 

 nounces blanc-mange, custards, cream, and 

 frangipane-pudding as the acme of "what 

 is good" — and when toxtch, by the clasping 

 hands and kissing lips, tells us that they 

 whom we have expected for " a whole year" 

 have at length arrived ; — ^when aU these, the 

 five acts of our Christmas drama, are enacted 

 in one scene, we, of coiirse, must play our 



part. To perform a clever experiment with 

 dexterity before a " small party" is at once 

 to become the hero of the evening. If you 

 cannot sing, you must solve conundrums or 

 dance a hornpipe ; if neither of these be 

 " your forte," a good experiment or two will 

 give equal pleasure to the " bright blue eyes " 

 peering on you. Eemember that experiments 

 of this kind are not only amusing, but in- 

 structive ; they illustrate what at first sight 

 appear to be " the laws of Nature reversed," 

 while, in truth, when we are familiar with 

 them, they teach the " immutability of Na- 

 ture's laws." The more experiments a boy 

 makes, the greater number of rounds will 

 he ascend up the "ladder of learning;" 

 and when he is at the top, how bright 

 is the prospect before him ! All is beau- 

 tiful, wonderful, and lovely! To please 

 the philosophic youth during his vaca- 

 tion, we have selected a few scenes from 

 our chemical pantomime ; so, " Here we 

 are !" 



