STUDY XI. 24Ï 



from the horfe, and which refembles a Roman 

 hat, whence it has borrowed it's name. Others 

 prefent agreeable confonances : fuch is that which 

 grows at the foot of the alder, under the form of 

 a cockle. What nymph has planted a (hell by the 

 root of a tree of the rivers ? 



This numerous tribe appears to have it's def- 

 tiny attached to that of the trees, which have each 

 a mufhroom appropriated to itfelf, and rarely to be 

 found elfewhere : fuch are thofe which grow only 

 on the roots of plumb-trees and pines. To no 

 purpofe does Heaven pour down it's copious rains; 

 the muihroom, under covert of it's umbrella, re- 

 ceives not a fingle drop. They derive the whole 

 fupport of life from the Earth, and from the po- 

 tent vegetable to whofe fortune they have united 

 their own : like thofe little Savoyards, who are 

 planted as pofts at the gates of the hotels of the 

 Great, they extract their fubfiftence out of the 

 fuperfluity of another ; they grow under the Iliade 

 of the Powers of^he foreft, and live on the fuper- 

 abundance of their fumptuous banquets. 



Other vegetables prefent oppofitions of ftrength 

 to weaknefs in a different way, and confonances of 

 protection ftill more diftinguilhed. Thofe which 

 we have been mentioning, like lordly Chieftains, 

 leave their humble friends at their feet : the others 



vol. in. r carry 



