INTRODUCTION. 19 



sterile hills, he was thought to have lost his 

 reason ; but the following harvest turned the 

 ridicule of his neighbours into admiration and 

 imitation, and these uncultivated tracts soon 

 became a waving ocean of corn, which has 

 made the Southdown farmer the pride and 

 envy of the people. 



The example given by one of the best of 

 Kings, and the attention shewn to agricul- 

 tural pursuits by an enlightened Nation, will, 

 we trust, never be forgotten, as no treasure 

 can be so valuable as that which protects us 

 from famine and pestilence. 



Sterne says, " I am convinced there would 

 be more attentive observers of Nature, if, for 

 example, the spider spun threads of gold, if 

 the lobster contained pearls, or if the flowers 

 of the field made old people young." 



Reason tells us, that a well-tilled garden 

 produces us more real luxuries, than mines 

 of gold or oceans of pearls could afford us ; 

 and experience teaches us, that although we 

 are not made young by the virtue of plants, 

 we may prevent premature old age by a 

 knowledge of herbs. 



We now offer our Literary Herbage, with 

 a hope that most readers will gather some 

 little store for the table, although the famili- 

 es 2 



