REMINISCENCES OF DANIEL WEBSTER. 121 



bility* had monopolized almost the entire territory, and 

 the cultivators of the soil were in a state of abject depend- 

 ence and hopeless poverty ; and there were many acts of 

 personal oppression. Now, all the old tenures being broken 

 up, the fee of the lands is in the mass, and France is 

 divided into a great many small farms, which are cultivated 

 by proprietors. This explains why we saw hardly a beggar 

 in the rural districts of France during our late journey, or 

 an individual in rags. Mr. Webster, no doubt, gave the 

 true solution. Many other remarks fell from this great 

 man ; but he cut me short, by saying abruptly, but pleas- 

 antly : " Now I want to have you talk to me about your 

 own subjects, which I am very desirous to understand, but 

 of which I know but little. I have endeavored to obtain 

 some correct notion of the structure of the earth ; and I 

 have piled up fragments of the rocks, laying granite down 

 as the foundation, and placing the other rocks above granite 

 in the order in which they succeeded each other." I as- 

 sured him that this was all right. He then said that he 

 wished me to explain to him the composition of soils and 

 manure, the constitution of organic bodies, the laws of ani- 

 mal and vegetable life, and the relation between them and 

 the mineral kingdom; Perceiving that he was in earnest, 

 I yielded to his request, and discoursed to him as clearly 

 as I could (for he said he could not understand Liebig, 

 whose work he had read). He gave the most fixed atten- 

 tion during nearly an hour that I was speaking, and ap- 

 peared as docile as a child. I do not think it worth while to 

 repeat my remarks, except on one topic. After explaining 

 the elementary constitution of organic bodies, the ele- 

 ments that were properly vital, I adverted to the extra- 

 neous things derived from the mineral kingdom, which, 

 although not strictly vital, are essential ; for example : 

 the bones of animals which are phosphate of lime, and the 

 shells and crusts of animals, which are carbonate of lime 

 * And, it might be added, the Catholic Church. 



