steuart's planter's guide. ^31 



tion and facts, and Sir Henry's discoveries, the de- 

 ficiency in practical knowledge and judgment, only 

 forms a contrast to the fancy, elegance, and erudition 

 of what goes before. 



Sir Walter, apparently mot quite unconscious of 

 the ridicule attaching to the subject, — to this mighty 

 scientific and historic parade in teaching country 

 gentlemen to amuse themselves by transferring gro\vn 

 trees as they list, from one place to another, without 

 entirely destroying the life of the transported subject, 

 — makes a curious effort to sustain its consequence, 

 by pointing out the immense advantages to a dis- 

 trict by the squire's residing in it ; insinuating, that 

 every thing which may amuse him at home, and thus 

 induce him to stay, although of itself childish or in- 

 :femous, becomes of the highest importance, being 

 ennobled by the end. The following courtly quo- 

 tation is from Sir Walter's proemial observ ations : 

 " A celebrated politician used to say, he would wil- 

 lingly bring in a bill to make poaching felony, ano- 

 ther to encourage the breed of foxes, and a third to 

 revive the decayed amusements of cock-fighting and 

 bull-baiting ; that he would make, in short, any sa- 

 crifice to the humom's and prejudices of the country 

 gentlemen, in their most extravagant form, provide 

 ing only he could prevail on them to dwell in their 



