112 
LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
perfume, and in various medicinal unguents ; 
but always with other fragrant substances, the 
scent and power of which it is thought to in- 
crease, and, as a valerian, to have a salutary 
effect on the nerves. I have already noticed 
that these precious medicinal unguents were 
kept in boxes of alabaster or onyx by the an- 
cients ; and one of these it was that the pious 
woman in the gospel brought to Jesus's feet. 
" How precious this ointment of Spikenard 
was in Jewry, and on what occasions it was 
used in most ancient days, we are taught by 
Solomon, who says : ' While the king sitteth 
at his table, my Spikenard sendeth forth the 
smell thereof.' 
" Mary, therefore, as at a royal feast, took 
the alabaster box of Spikenard, very precious, 
and brake it, and poured it upon Jesus's feet. 
' She anointed his feet, and wiped them with 
her hair, and the house was filled with the 
odour of the ointment.' 
" One hypocrite was present, the betrayer 
of the innocent person. He exclaimed against 
the waste of the precious ointment, saying the 
price might have been given to the poor. But 
Jesus defended the pious act ; and promised 
that, 'wheresoever this gospel shall be preached 
throughout the whole world, this also that she 
hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial 
of her.'"— Pp.447— 461. 
This last quotation will convince our readers 
that the author has supplied her work from a 
mind well stored with natural history, with 
the sacred writings, and with the useful part 
of botany. We highly recommend it, and may 
refer to it again. 
LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 
APPROACHES TO THE MANSION. 
Landscape Gardening consists in the imi- 
tation of natural scenery, and the excellence 
of the art is in bringing as many of the 
beautiful features of natural scenery into the 
space allotted for the operation as can be got 
together consistently with the proper effect 
to be preserved. In a large space there is no 
difficulty in all this if a man knows his pro- 
fession ; but when the space is limited the 
nicety consists in a choice selection of the 
principal features, and not attempting too 
many. The ordinary features of a Landscape con- 
sist of roads, clumps of trees, shrubs, flowers, 
rivers, rocks, waterfalls, and even natural 
fountains. Vast advantages must present 
themselves before all these can be attempted 
