EECEEATIYE SCIENCE. 



55 



the base of tlie latter we come upon some- 

 thing new, the organs are united just in the 

 reverse to those of the violet. The pistil, 

 with its five lobes at the base, and its long 

 beak, is very different from any we have yet 

 met with, and with it we have arrived at the 

 end of our first gathering. Just let us 

 review what we have learned from it. We 

 began, supposing that we knew nothing what- 

 ever of plants, and that all the stock of know- 

 ledge we had to start with was the recog- 

 nition of the very commonest weeds of the 

 ivayside. Those which we selected for our 

 first lesson were taken because of the one 

 common character so often alluded to, the 



attachment of the distinct petals and the 

 stamens to the organ named the receptacle, 

 which supports the pistU. We have seen that 

 but for this common character they differ 

 widely, and we have learned, at the same 

 time, what are the parts of which a complete 

 and perfect flower is composed, namely, the 

 calyx and its sepals, the corolla and its petals, 

 the stamens and the pistUs, and these organs 

 we now know, and look for in a special order. 

 Enough here for one lesson, albeit we have 

 a much better capital of information to start 

 with when we go forth in search of a Second 

 HandfiJ. 



Spencer Thomson. 



HUMBOLDT. 



IN TWO PAETS. — PABT II. 



HUMBOLDT AT BEELIN. 



The Life of Humboldt, like a term at col- 

 lege, naturally "divides" at a certain period. 

 We have seen him collect his material, and 

 digest the substance of his great work. His 

 fame has culminated. His presence is every- 

 where sought for. Men who could not appre- 

 ciate his scientific foresight or his brilliant 

 suggestions, could yet believe in results. 

 '• Sien ne reussii Jamais comme le succes," 

 says the French proverb. " There's nothing 

 in the world half so successful as success," 

 cry the Americans, endeavouring to trans- 

 late the untranslatable. He, who had been 

 laughed at for a visionary when he sold his 

 estates to procure means to explore the New 

 World, was now declared to be the wisest of 

 mankind ! He who had been a mere savant, 

 an ideologue, was now consulted on state- 

 craft no less than upon geology — was thought 

 to know something of the government of the 

 world, since he had learnt much of its forma- 

 tion, and was brought from his study to be 



the privy councillor of his sovereign. Let 

 young and ardent spirits take comfort as 

 they think of this. Persevere ; have one idea, 

 be true to it, follow one, act by another; 

 have will, determination, and purpose, and, 

 with God's blessing, the world will talk of 

 you yet. 



In 1827, Humboldt was called to, and 

 finally settled at, Berlin, with the title of 

 privy councillor and many more substantial 

 honours, which he continued to enjoy till the 

 time of his death, that is, during the reigns 

 of the late king of Prussia, Frederick William 

 III., and his successor, Frederick William IV. 

 A friend to almost every successive adminis- 

 tration, he was enabled often to tender the 

 ministry good advice, which was more gra- 

 ciously received from him than from any one. 

 Science is of no party; its politics are univer- 

 sal, since it only can desire the good of man- 

 kind. For two years Humboldt tarried in 

 peace in his native town, when he was called 

 by a great potentate once more into the fields 

 of science. 



