Tim] AND SYMBOLS. 351 



thinnest skin and most luscious flavour. Some of the trees at 

 the Azores bear at a very great age ; some in one garden were 

 100 years old, still bearing plentifully a highly-prized, thin- 

 skinned orange, full of juice and free from pips. The thinness 

 of the rind of a St. Michael's orange and its freedom from pips 

 depend upon the age of the tree. Here, then, we clearly see 

 a genuine illustration of improvement with age. It typifies the 

 mind of the thinker. In the early fruit of the thinker's mind 

 we have many specimens of thoughts which, though of the right 

 sort, are, perhaps, not perfectly mellow and refreshing. But as 

 the years run on, a man's thoughts become more and more per- 

 fect, and compare most favourably with those which are pro- 

 duced by younger minds. Landor entitled one of his books 

 "The Last Fruit of an Old Tree." It was the ripe production 

 of a splendid mind at its best. QA. 



Timidity the Concomitant of Weakness. 



The weakest and meanest persons are invariably the most 

 timid. They have just sufficient wit to know that their wit is 

 not to be relied on. And it is singular how much this timidity 

 in men depends upon the mental and moral atmosphere in which 

 they have been reared. Those whose natures have developed 

 in the genial smile of warm friendship, and in frank and open 

 associations, are usually stronger, and possessed of more self- 

 reliance than men who have been trained amidst surroundings 

 where those elements have been wanting. Their mental strength 

 and courage, like the physical strength and courage of the true 

 lizards (lacertidce), seems to depend a good deal on temperature. 

 In the glowing regions of the tropics these lizards grow into 

 large proportions, and are bold and brave, because they are con- 

 scious of their strength. But in more northern countries they 

 are timid, because they are weak and of small size. Should a 

 slight noise strike upon its ear, or an unaccustomed object 

 suddenly come in view, the little lizard, previously, perhaps, 

 lying basking in the rays of the sun, may be seen to raise itself 

 immediately upon its feet, to draw back its head, and in that 

 attitude carefully watch everything around it. A leaf may have 

 suddenly fallen to the ground ; it starts, watches the object for 



