ALDER. 61 



that crowns the mountain, down to the violet 

 which perfumes the grove. All were links of 

 one harmonious chain: — 



" Nature, enchanting Nature, in whose form 

 And lineaments divine, I trace a hand 

 That errs not." Cowper. 



The alder and its relatives that love the 

 stream, follow the current through every part 

 of the globe ; confining the rivers to their due 

 bounds, and correcting the vitiated air of 

 those situations by the peculiar qualities 

 allotted to aquatic trees, which absorb the 

 corrupted air more profusely than the natives 

 of drier situations. We cannot reflect on 

 this great wisdom of Providence in the scat- 

 tering of plants, without exclaiming with 

 Pope — 



" How wondrous are thy ways ! 



How far above our knowledge and our praise !" 



In this countrv, the alder is seldom suffered 

 to attain its natural bulk, but in ancient times, 

 when men were less numerous and trees 

 more abundant, the dimensions of the alder 

 were sufficient to form their boats, which we 

 have already noticed from Virgil ; and if we 

 except Noah's ark, we shall find, that the first 

 vessels we read of were made from these 

 trees. Their contiguity to rivers, and the im- 



