Concluding Observations, 1 1 7 



sport, where sometimes as many as sixteen cocks were 

 matched against an equal number, and fought till 

 all on one side were killed. Then the victors were 

 divided and fought, and so on till but one champion 

 .survived, and we read of the church-bells ringing in 

 honour of the victor. 



But of all tastes with which we are endowed, that 

 for natural history in general, and particularly that 

 for Horticulture in its various branches, are perhaps 

 the purest, most elevating, and most universal ; and 

 ornamental gardening is said to be the ornamental 

 art which last approaches perfection in advanced 

 communities. 



Notwithstanding all we read and hear of the dan- 

 gers of democracy, communism, scepticism, and infi- 

 delity, and of modern science superseding the old 

 religions of the world, never before were the soften- 

 ing and civilizing influences of Christianity so largely 

 apparent in practice as they are in our days. Never 

 were thought and interest on religious subjects 

 diffused over so large an area though such thought 

 and interest may be too indefinite and confused. 

 The most advanced scientific men of England teach 

 us that " At present there is no book more read than 

 the Bible, no life more deeply studied and discussed 

 than the life of Christ. There is probably a greater 

 amount of earnest attention devoted to these subjects 

 than to any other branch of human inquiry."* Even 



* The Vnseen Universe, Introduction. 



