Retrospective Criticism. 723 



be found. The amateur would cheerfully furnish the reference, ;)oi<;- la gloire, 

 the nurseryman, it may be expected, would add it for the purposes of trade. 

 Such information would, I conceive, much increase the value of the work to 

 individuals who are often much at a loss to know where they can buy any 

 plant that is new or uncommon, andwould readily pay an additional price for 

 such a directory ; and at the same time it would be worth while for the nur- 

 seryman thus to advertise his rarer plants at the cost of a small gratuity to Mr. 

 Sweet for the insertion. In order to provide for the case of such plants as 

 are to be found in several gardens, the information might be condensed by 

 using letters or Arabic figures of reference, several of which would be com- 

 prised within the space of one line of the column, and which might either 

 refer to notes at the bottom of the page, or to a table of the names of nur- 

 serymen to be placed at the end of the book. This last would be the shortest 

 and cheapest mode, inasmucli as thereby the same letter or figure, though it 

 should recur five hundred times in the course of the work, would refer to 

 one and the same name, not requiring the name to be printed more than 

 once in the whole book : this mode of reference has many years been used 

 with much accommodation in the Annual Law Lint, for reference from the 

 names of country attorneys to those of their town agents. I subjoin an ex- 

 ample of what I mean. 



Clematis. Reference. 



1. erecta Dec. \ Virgin's Bower | Austria I 1597 | 6-8 | H. "V . | Jacq. aust. 3. 6. 291. \ aSyht 



{a. Lee, S Loddiges, y Miller, S Young, % Milne and Co.) 



For plants which are become fully established, and to be met with in 

 every nursery, it would suffice to say ■passim, which might be abbreviated top. 



Whether Mr. Sweet shall adopt this suggestion or not, I sincerely hope he 

 will soon publish a single entire Index Generum to his whole Hortus Bri- 

 tunnicus. He owes this to his purchasers; the present divided index, of 

 which the part that refers to his second volume comes first, and the part 

 that refers to his first volume comes after, occasions very great and very 

 unnecessary trouble to his purchasers, and is a blot on his character for 

 diligence. Had I discovered this defect before I had bought the work, I 

 would never have purchased it till an improved edition should appear; and 

 if ever he shall publish another edition, w ith a consolidated index, he owes 

 it to the purchasers of his first edition to give them, at least, an opportunity 

 of purchasing his improved Index Generum separately, and to print an extra 

 number of copies for that purpose. — Causidicus. Feb. A. 1829. 



Music and Dancing among the Laborious Chsses. — Sir, Until very lately 

 intellectual darkness has clouded the minds of the majority of the people 

 of England. I am, perhaps, as desirous as yourself to see this moral night 

 vanish before the bright star of improvement, and the cold mist of ignorance 

 yield to the genial rays of intellectual refinement. But, I think, in their 

 ardent endeavours to promote this march of intellect, some people are 

 running into an opposite extreme, likely to counteract the main object of 

 their desires, by encouraging the pursuit of music and dancing among the 

 lower orders of society. 



These light amusements have an evident tendency to promote levity and 

 dissipation, two of the greatest banes to mental improvement. They pos- 

 sess such a fascinating influence over the mind, and so perfectly do they 

 harmonise with the thoughtless gaiety of youth, that it can be no matter of 

 surprise if a young man pursue them, to the neglect of more important sub- 

 jects, particularly when the opportunity of attaining a knowledge of thtin 

 is laid within his grasp ; and that, too, stamped with the recommendation 

 of those to whom he is accustomed to look for sage counsel and advice. 



The greatest care is requisite, lest we aim at the shadow, while the sub- 

 stance eludes our grasp. 



I consider the solid improvement of the mind, derived from attentive 

 reading and studv, of far greater importance and permanent satisfaction, 



3 A 2 



