156 REED PENS. 



and t was prohibited in Italy at different periods, on account 

 of its affording a ready means of revenge to an angry posses- 

 sor. It was with a stylus that Cassius struck Caesar, and 

 Caligula caused an obnoxious senator to be massacred with 

 the same weapon. From stylus comes the Italian stiletto, 

 which shows the double purpose to which the instrument 

 was applied.* 



Quill pens began first to be known in the seventh century, 

 though they arrived very slowly to us. 



MRS. F. 



The reed pen of the Turks is made from Arundo orientalis; 

 but, with regard to the reed, it has been justly observed, that 

 the different uses to which it has been applied, may be said 

 to mark the different periods in the civilisation of a people; 

 and the Greeks used to say, that reeds had contributed to 

 subjugate a people, by furnishing arrows; to soften manners, 

 by the charm of music; and to develope their intelligence, by 

 offering them the instruments proper for the formation of 

 letters.f 



ESTHER. 



A most just observation. 



MRS. F. 



It is singular to mark the influence which a plant some- 

 times exercises in forming the habits of a people. 



ESTHER. 



Yes; the Guarinis, for instance, of the Orinoco, who may 

 be said to be almost parasitic upon the Mauritia palm (M. 

 Jtexuosa,} and who afford an instance of the human race iin 

 perhaps the lowest state of degradation, its existence being 

 chained to a single tree, like the insects which can only subsist 

 upon certain parts of a flower. It would appear that 

 Thomson alludes to Mauritia palm where he says 



* Cell's Pompeiana. f Humboldt's Voyage, vol. viii. 



