THE HOUSELEEK TRIBE. 109 



pable of respiring, and generating in its room in infi- 

 nite abundance that vital air or oxygen, without which 

 li^dng things would perish. 



Hence, in bright floods, the Vital air expands, 

 And with concentric spheres involves the lands ; 

 Pervades the swarming seas, and heaving earths. 

 Where teeming nature breeds her myriad births ; 

 Fills the fine lungs of all that breathe or bud. 

 Warms the new heart, and dyes the gushing blood ; 

 With life's first spark inspires the organic frame. 

 And, as it wastes, renews the subtile flame. 



These very beautiful lines are fi'om the Botanic 

 Garden of Darwin, a writer of an ingenious and phi- 

 losophical turn of mind, whose poetry is now forgotten, 

 although it has some splendid passages, and contains 

 numerous descriptions of natural phenomena, expressed 

 in language remarkable alike for its magnificence, 

 and for its fidelity to what were, in the author's time, 

 considered facts. Darwin, unfortunately, adjusted his 

 natural phenomena to the unintelligible Rosicrucian 

 machinery of gnomes, sylphs, nymphs, and salaman- 

 ders, and this, together with the little knowledge that 

 general readers possess of the facts his poetry was in- 

 tended to illustrate, has been the cause of his poetical 

 writings having fallen into neglect. I would, however, 

 recommend you to read his Botanic Garden, especially 

 the first part, called " The Economy of Vegetation ;" 

 you can easily pass by the tiresome Rosicrucian agency, 

 and the remainder you will find extremely well worthy 

 the perusal. But to return from our digression. 



The property possessed by the common Houseleek, 

 of growing on dry exposed roofs and walls, is partici- 



