192 Gardening Visit to Paris, 



author, artist, and naturalist, who wrote and practised in the 

 same line as himself, to be his rival or his enemy, and considered 

 himself, if not entitled to abuse him, at least to be acting a pru- 

 dent part in shunning his company. At present, authors, artists, 

 and naturalists, of the same class, associate together for mutual 

 improvement; and those who, in consequence of greater natural 

 genius, superior education, or from being more Ibrtimate, take 

 the lead of the others, are no longer envied or decried by any 

 kind of indulgence of bad feeling, but rather looked on with 

 satisfaction, as doing honour to the profession to which they 

 belong in common. 



The same result which has taken place among individuals in 

 Britain, in consequence of intercommunication, is, without doubt, 

 taking place between nations throughout the world, in conse- 

 quence of commercial intercourse, curiosity, and the propaga- 

 tion of opinions. The result is more striking in France, from 

 the great enmity which formerly subsisted between us, the French 

 being then, as Mr. Fox observed in the House of Commons, 

 "our natural enemy," and partly from her proximity; but princi- 

 pally, we believe, from something in the French character which 

 has always, as far as mind and manners are concerned, kept 

 them at the head of European civilisation. However, be the 

 cause what it may, it is certain that the mass of the people of 

 both nations entertain the most humanised and friendly feelings 

 for each other, and the strongest wish that these feelings should 

 never give way to others less in accordance with human happi- 

 ness and refinement. • One act on the part of France would 

 greatly tend to promote friendly intercourse between the two 

 countries, viz. the establishment of a cheap postage, like that of 

 Britain. How many seeds, grafts, roots, drawings, manuscripts, 

 printed papers, and other objects connected with gardening 

 or sreneral improvement, could we not send to the different 

 persons that we received civilities from while in Paris, that 

 would be of real use to the country ! So rapid is the post 

 between London and Paris, that cuttings for striking, or scions 

 for taking buds from, might be wrapped up in oil paper, or 

 coated over with mastic, so as to arrive in a perfectly sound 

 state. The transmission of such cuttings and scions alone, to 

 say nothing of seeds, roots, and papers, would surely be a con- 

 siderable advantage to both countries. The free transmission of 

 small parcels, by coach, waggon, or steam-boat, is also an object 

 which we think ought to engage the attention of the govern- 

 ments of both countries. There surely can be no reason in the 

 nature of things why a parcel should cost more when transmitted 

 from London to Paris than from London to Dublin ; and yet 

 the difference in the charges is so great, that, in the case of 

 sending books to Paris, or receiving them from that city, it 



