JOHN BECOMES AN ESSA VIST. 26$ 



form of a mat." He then gives a history of weaving from 

 the time of the ancient Egyptians, "with whom the first 

 species of cloth invented in all likelihood originated," as did 

 the sciences. In speaking of the once universal use of the 

 distaff and spindle, he mentions that, at one time, he had 

 himself woven sixty ells of sacking with yarn "spun with 

 the rock and spindle." He traces the history of weaving 

 in Britain from the Romans who "established a woollen 

 and linen manufactory at Winchester for clothing their 

 army," down to the improvements of Hargreaves and 

 Arkwright and the modern power looms. He concludes, 

 according to his custom, with two lines of verse, evidently, 

 in this case, from some original source, personal or 

 otherwise : 



" ' But the weaving it is renowned so, 



That pure * nor rich without it cannot go.' " 



John read another " short discourse " before the class, on 

 Practical Gardening, on the 2nd of April, 1852, at the open- 

 ing of spring, when gardening operations were beginning. 



After defining a garden as " a place separate from the 

 ordinary fields, and protected by an enclosure either of a 

 wall or hedge," he speaks, of course, of the occupation being 

 " veary Anchent," of the garden of Eden, " a most beautiful 

 and charming spot, enclosed and planted by God Himself, 

 and hence called the garden of the Lord," and of Sire 

 Adam, "the first man and the first gardener." After 

 describing the hanging gardens of Babylon, he turns to the 

 " most humble gardens they were met to consider, which 

 opened up sources of healthful and innocent and pleasurable 



* That is, "poor," according to local pronunciation. 



