128 PROSERPINA. 



that the tige of the trees of our forests presents three 

 essential parts, which are, in going from within to with- 

 out, the pith, the wood, and the bark. The pith, (in 

 French, marrow,) forms a sort of column in the centre 

 of the woody axis. In very thick and old stems its di- 

 ameter appears very little ; and it has even for a long 

 time been supposed that the marrow ends by disappear- 

 ing altogether from the stems of old trees. But it does 

 nothing of the sort ;* and it is now ascertained, by exact 

 measures, that its diameter remains sensibly invariable^ 

 from the moment when the young woody axis begins to 

 consolidate itself, to the epoch of its most complete de- 

 . velopment." 



So far, so good ; but what does he mean by the com- 

 plete development of the young woody axis? When 

 does the axis become < wooden,' and how far up the tree 

 does he call it an axis? If the stem divides into three 

 branches, which is the axis ? And is the pith in the 

 trunk no thicker than in each branch? 



9. He proceeds to tell us, " The marrow is formed by 

 a reunion of cells." Yes, and so is Newgate, and so was 

 the Bastille. But what does it matter whether the mar- 

 row is made of a reunion of cells, or cellars, or walls, or 



* I envy the French their generalized form of denial, ' II n'en est 

 rien.' 



f ' Sensiblement invariable ; ' ' unchanged, so far as we can see,' or 

 to general sense ; microscopic and minute change not being consid- 

 ered. 



