192 TABULAR RECORD OF MORTALITY. Comets. The subject is yet in its infancy; but promises to be fruitful in interesting results. Several cases have been surmised, out of which one may here be noticed. It has been found that the orbit of the first Comet of 1861 nearly intersects the orbit of the Earth at a point thirty degrees in advance of that which the Earth occupies at the Vernal Equinox: the Earth reaches that point on the 20th of April, the Comet was there on the 12th of May, 1861: had it been twentytwo days earlier, it would have nearly come in contact with the Earth. It so happens that several fine displays of shooting-stars have occurred in the month of April, and the direction of their motion almost precisely accords with what it should be if their orbits were nearly identical with that of the Comet, which at one point is nearer to the Sun than the Earth is, and at another is one hundred and ten times more distant; consequently, requires more than four hundred years to complete a revolution. A remarkable feature in the orbit is that its plane is nearly at right angles to that in which the Earth moves, and its major axis, too, is nearly perpendicular to this plane. It rises above the ecliptic, then, on the north side, to the height of ninety millions of miles, and dives below it, on the other side, to the depth of ten thousand millions of miles. The relationship between this Comet and the April meteors is not so well established as that of the 1866 Comet with the November meteors; but it is at least probable. The Sun will be in the summer solstice on the 21st, at 10h. 19m. in the afternoon. The greatest northern declination is twenty-three degrees, twentyseven minutes, fourteen seconds. Mercury is now eastward of the Sun, and toward the end of the month sets an hour and a half later. It may be seen near the horizon, toward the end of the evening twilight, bearing northwest by west. Venus rises about an hour and twenty minutes before the Sun. She is still in the superior part of her orbit, and, of course, gibbous. Mars sets on the 7th, at midnight. This planet will be very close to Regulus on the 18th and 19th. The contrast in colour will then be striking; and, as both can be seen together in the field of view of a telescope of moderate size, the difference in the effect of a high magnifying power on a fixed star and planet will be instructive. Jupiter rises at midnight on the 12th. On the morning of the 23d it will be close to the Moon. On the 27th the apparent motion among the fixed stars changes from direct to retrograde. Saturn will be near the Moon when setting on the morning of the 14th. The length of the ring is forty-one seconds; the breadth, fifteen; the diameter of the ball sixteen and a half seconds. CHELSEA BRIDGE, AND BATTERSEA PARK. ABOUT ten years ago the beautiful structure of which we present a cut was opened to the public. It was erected, by order of the Government, from the designs of Mr. Page, now well known as the architect of the splendid new Westminster Bridge. Since Brunel's SuspensionBridge at Hungerford Market has given place to a girder bridge for the Charing-Cross Railway, this is the only specimen of the kind in the metropolis; but it is one which excites universal admiration, by the beauty of its proportions and form. Previously to its erection, the Thames was spanned by no bridge from Old Battersea to Vauxhall, a distance of nearly two miles; and most of the district lying south of it between these points, and extending to the first swell of the sandy hills of Surrey, was a marsh, not unfrequently overflowed at high tides, and rife with influences unfriendly to health. Its moral reputation was hardly better than its sanitary character; for there stood the notorious Red House; and there, also, VOL. XIII.-Second Series.-JULY, 1867. N 194 CHELSEA BRIDGE, AND BATTERSEA PARK. gipsies, and other vagabond members of the population, found a favourite camping-ground. The district was traversed in its length by a line of road nearly parallel with the river, known as the York, or Lower Wandsworth, Road, forming one of the chief means of communication between Lambeth and several suburban places, Putney, Richmond, &c. The advent of the cholera, some seventeen years ago, turned out quite fortunately for this district. Its peculiar virulence along some parts of the road before named, attracted public notice, and forced the necessity of some improvement of its condition upon the attention of the Government. Money was borrowed, in the belief that the increased value of a portion of the land to be operated on, and a toll on the bridge to be built, would pay the interest at once, and ultimately the principal. An irregularlyshaped piece of land, nearly a mile long, and two-thirds of a mile in width, was purchased; and about three-fourths of it was set apart to be converted into a park, which was to be rendered easily accessible to Chelsea by the projected bridge. By raising the banks of the Thames for some distance, its tidal waters were excluded, and a partial system of surface-drainage was adopted to draw off the stagnant water already there. The bridge was built; new roads were formed, encompassing and traversing the park; the hordes of gipsies, and other vagrants, were dislodged, and Battersea Park took its place beside those other invaluable open spaces which have been happily denominated the "lungs of London." It is inferior in extent, and in the possession of wellgrown trees, to some of the other metropolitan parks; but it has peculiar advantages over them, some of which will be evident from our brief description, now to follow. One entire side of the park, about three-quarters of a mile in length, lies along the Thames, which is here comparatively pure; while the opposite side of the river is bordered, for most of the distance, by the Old Physic Garden of the College of Physicians, and the grounds of Chelsea Hospital, which have recently been much extended, and ornamentally laid out and planted. The buildings of the Hospital, with a noble group of large trees contiguous to the river, along with the magnificent, recently-erected bridge, form a pleasant view on the other side. An embankment on the north side, only partially completed at present, has rescued a large tract from the domain of the river. This is now being planted with trees, under which, in due time, will be one of the most agreeable promenades to be enjoyed in the suburbs of the metropolis. On the eastern side runs the line of road which connects Chelsea directly with Clapham, parallel to the lines of railway proceeding from the Victoria Station. The incessant passing and repassing of the trains, by hundreds daily, gives no small animation to the view from this part of the grounds. The park is so arranged as to have a line of road carried entirely round it, a great portion of which has already been planted with maple and other trees, destined, by-and-by, to afford the CHELSEA BRidge, and BATTERSEA PARK. 195 wanted element of shade; and parallel to this a ride has been formed, giving the equestrian a course of two miles round; and a straight, central walk, planted with elms to form an avenue, stretches through the centre of the ground. Along these paths, and others traversing the grass in various directions, extensive and beautiful shrubberies, quite unrivalled, as we think, by those of any other London park, are planted; and, as the air in this south-western region is delightfully pure throughout the summer, they flourish in great luxuriance. From the first peep of spring, when, perhaps early in March, the wild almondtree (Amygdalus sylvestris) puts out its delicate-looking blossoms, to the full, leafy splendours of June, the eye is gratified by a constant succession of exquisite flowering shrubs, in the greatest possible variety; while, through the summer and autumn, the floral beauties of this park are at least equal to those of any of its metropolitan rivals. But we must hasten to conclude our sketch. The space between the shrubberies is chiefly laid out in grass; and, during the six warmer months of the year, about one-half of it is devoted to the use of the admirers of cricket. On a holiday, or a Saturday, when early closing of shops allows young men a few hours for recreation, this part presents a lively and joyous scene, and the visiter will do well to keep his attention alive, if he wishes to shun the balls which fly from the bats of numerous players. Another considerable space is occupied with an ornamental sheet of water, diversified with islets thickly covered with trees. These, as well as the other shrubberies, are the resort of numerous singing-birds, such as throstles and blackbirds; and, of late years, in fine evenings in May, a few nightingales are to be heard intermingling their evensong with that of the others, and prolonging their strains long after dusk. The skylarks were formerly numerous; but, as the grounds have been more frequented, they have almost wholly withdrawn. We need hardly add that the sheet of water is highly attractive to skaters in winter. Along the eastern side of the park runs what is termed an "American Garden;" where, with the requisite provision of peat-earth, a numerous collection of rhododendrons, with their gaudy relatives, the azaleas, flourishes; and immediately adjoining this is a series of beds, occupied with the queen of flowers, -the rose, in many varieties. A path, running along this part, bordered for some hundreds of yards by sweetbriars, affords a delightful treat, especially after a shower of rain, to the most fastidious of our senses. We must not forget to mention what is denominated the "Subtropical Garden." About the middle of the park, verging towards its southern side, a considerable space has been enclosed with a high bank of earth, which has been thickly planted with evergreens, and loftier trees, serving to exclude those stormy gusts which sometimes ruffle the tranquillity of our summers. The interior of this, reaching to various portions of the ornamental water, is beautifully laid out, and, in summer, is filled with tropical plants, in 196 THE IDOLATRY OF MAN. great variety; the splendid foliage of which, as well as their singular and beautiful flowers, present a botanical treat, and an æsthetical gratification too, unequalled, perhaps, nearer than Kew. The superintendent of the park, Mr. Gibson, having had, as we understand, extensive experience of such exotics in their native climes, has been very successful in his management of them here. The park is readily accessible from all parts of the metropolis, by boat and rail; and there are few places where the toilworn artisan, or the hard-pressed shopkeeper or tradesman of this mighty and busy city, can more pleasantly spend a few hours' holiday, enjoying a recreation which may be enhanced by the company of a wife or child. То THE IDOLATRY OF MAN. MEN who excite our admiration received their gifts from God. pay homage to a man for his works, without a recognition of God in them, is idolatry. Do we speak of religious teachers? They are only the vehicles of Divine truth; their gifts and their acceptance, the clear discernment, the imagination, the power of utterance, whether they are 66 sons of thunder," or" sons of consolation," their piety, their knowledge of the Scriptures, their facility of illustrating and enforcing truth, are God's gifts, furnished to them in different measure, as He hath pleased, and for whose use they are responsible to Him. They are servants only, messengers, ambassadors,-deriving dignity from the message they bear and the Monarch they serve. The bearer is one of ourselves, his breath is in his nostrils; wherein is he to be accounted of? But the message is of infinite moment. Speak we of the sons of genius ? Their high gifts were an inspiration from God. He made them what they were. The forms in which their genius displayed itself, in poetry, painting, sculpture, or otherwise, was a direction which He gave to their powers; and theirs is the responsibility of using them for the glory of God and the welfare of their species, or of prostituting them to S. ignoble ends. All the productions of art and genius, all the achievements of the human mind, should be for the general good, and are for us to make a right use of. The man is nothing; his work everything. When he departs, his work remains a blessing or a curse for ages. If devout, he ascribes the glory of his genius to his Maker; if undevout, a curse will finally rest on himself, and everlasting dishonour on his name. His works, at the same time, are a link in the chain of Divine arrangements for human welfare, and promote, by methods which we see not, the Divine glory. Do we allude to "heroes," of any order? Their high qualities are from God; their character, achievements, sufferings, are agencies for accomplishing His purpose. The men were instruments in the Divine Hand, accomplishing other objects than those they contemplated; and, as they fade in the distance, the work of God, which was aided by their lives, rises in stupendous grandeur. Even Luther and Calvin are receding into the dim past; but the Divine cause which they promoted has attained a breadth of power far beyond their hopes. All such men are God's agents, doing, wittingly or unwittingly, His work, and they should be forgotten in the glory of Him who guided them. |