AND OBSERVANCES OF SHAKSPEARE. 257 



were supposed to possess a similarity in external character ; thus 

 our potato f Solatium tuberosum), when it was first imported into 

 England by the colonists in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, gained 

 its appellative from its supposed resemblance to an esculent vege- 

 table at that time in common use, under the name of the Sweet 

 Potato (Convolvulus Battatas), and which, like Eringo root, had 

 the reputation of being able to restore decayed vigour. Without 

 disputing this point in the true Malthusian spirit, let us merely cast 

 an eye over the lovely land of green Erin, which is little else than 

 one great big potato bed, and remember that her population has 

 increased, within a few years, from two to eight millions by starv- 

 ing on potatos. If the worship of Venus were in vogue, we might 

 change her appellative of Cyprian for Hibernian goddess ; when 

 some Donnybrook deity, approaching her altar, " mater saeva cu- 

 pidinum," might offer up the first fruits of the soil : — 



■ Illic plurima naribus 

 Duces sancta :* fdisque, et resonantium 

 Delectabere tibium 

 Mistis carminibus, non sine baculo.f 

 Illic bis pueri die 



Numen cum teneris virginibus tuum 

 Laudantes, soleis sine 

 In morem salium ter quatient humum." — Hor. t Ode i., lib. iv. 



The discourse of the fairies is full of soft compliment to loyalty. 

 The " garter's compass," honi soil qui mal y pense, sounds strange 

 in fairy tongue — tempora mutantur. 



" Evans. — "Where's Bede ? — Go you, and where you find a maid 

 That, ere she sleep, has thrice her prayers said, 

 Rein up the organs of her fantasy, 

 Sleep she as sound as careless infancy. 



Mr. Parker, in one of his admirable lectures, makes this striking 

 remark, that (t dreams are indicative of disease." There is no doubt 

 of this truth : that is, the dreams are so faint in a healthy person, 

 that no u remembrance is warranted." The facts, also mentioned 

 by Mr. Parker, of sounds creating dreams corresponding in charac- 

 ter to the particular noise is equally remarkable : 



" drums in his ears, 

 Then dreams he of cutting foreign throats, 

 Of breaches, ambuscadoes, Spanish blades, 

 Of healths five fathoms deep." 



* " Subaudi fuma." Herbe sancta is a synonym of Tobacco. 

 •J* Baculo : an immetrical paraphrase of shillalah. 



VOL. V. NO. XVIIf. 2 K 



