Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

They create

And multiply in us a brighter ray

pass unchallenged. I remember at school | for money. That is my prose. I find in a boy, whom it happened to be the fashion my second love my poetry of life, and I of the day to torment, bearing with a think it is this love that keeps my life wonderful patience the jeers and witti- sweet, and makes me a favorite with cisms of half a score of his companions, children and with dogs. Who can exuntil one of them made some remark, aggerate the blessings showered upon boldly reflecting upon the character of Englishmen by their poets: the boy's father, whereupon he at once, clenching his puny fist, bravely advanced upon the last speaker, exclaiming, "You may insult me as much as you like, but you shan't insult my parents." So, in my case, you may call me as many hard names as you like, but you mustn't blame What names! what exhaustless wealth! anybody else, but the Time-spirit - if A Golden Treasury indeed the Time-spirit is a body (and really, heart I have got lies stored. body or no body, it is the fashion now to speak of it as if it were the most potent of beings, dwelling far above argument or analogy). I had what is called every ad

[ocr errors]

And more beloved existence. Shakespeare was of us, Milton was of us, Burns, Shelley 'were with us.

where what

From The Journal of The Franklin Institute.

vantage. Religion was presented to me THE MOON'S FIGURE AS OBTAINED IN

THE STEREOSCOPE.

BY CHAS. J. WISTER.

in its most pleasing aspect, living illustrations of its power and virtuous effects moved around me, my taste was carefully guarded from vitiating influences. Our IN a paper published some time since, house was crowded with books, all of in the "Cornhill Magazine," and repubwhich were left open to us, because there lished, September last, in the "Living were none that could harm us; money, Age," entitled "News from the Moon, which was far from plentiful, was lav- a singular argument, and to my mind a ished on education and books, and on singularly fallacious one, is put forth in these alone. How on earth did the Time-confirmation of the figure of the moon as spirit enter into that happy Christian deduced from the calculations of the conhome? Had it not done so, I might now have been living in the Eden of Belief, and spending my days "bottling moonshine," like the rest of my brethren. But enter it did, and from almost the very first it subtly mixed itself with all spiritual observances, which, though it did not then venture to attack, it yet awaited to neutralize. No! my education was a very costly one; even in point of money a family might be decently maintained on the interest of the sum that has been thus expended, and in point of time too it was remarkable.

[ocr errors]

And yet I have advantages over some men, I know, upon whom the Time-spirit has worked even more disastrously, for they don't know what they like or want. Now I do. The things I am fondest of, bar two or three human things, are money and poetry: the first, not of course for its own sake who ever heard of any one admitting that he liked money for its own sake? And as I always spend more money than I have got (my catholic taste in books is so expensive) it can't be said that I am likely to grow a miser. Neither is money a necessary condition to my happiness not at all; but it is for all that the motive power that causes me to exert myself in my daily work. I work

tinental astronomer, Gussew, of Wilna. The article referred to is without signature, but as the author alludes to his correspondence with Sir John Herschel, he no doubt speaks ex cathedra.

The figure of the moon should be, as proved by Newton, an ellipsoid, her shortest diameter being her polar one, her longest diameter that turned towards the earth, and her third diameter lying nearly east and west, a diameter intermediate to the other two. Newton further found that her shortest diameter would not differ more than sixty-two yards from her longestan insignificant difference surely in a body whose mean diameter is about twenty-one hundred miles.

Gussew, however, comes in at this point with an assertion based upon measurements of De la Rue's photographic copies of the moon at the extremes of her librations, and upon ocular demonstration derived from viewing these different perspectives of the moon's image combined by the aid of the stereoscope, and undertakes to subvert his great predecessor's theory, and to substitute one of his own, founded on this very unreliable testimony. He asserts not only that the moon is eggshaped, its smaller end being turned earthward, but that the point of this co

lossal egg rises seventy miles above the mean level of its surface. Now it is to the proof of this as derived from stereo-, scopic evidence that I take exception for reasons hereinafter set forth.

tion of the effect of stereoscopically combining images of our satellite taken at opposite stages of her librations, "It appears just as a giant might see it, the interval between whose eyes is equal to The stereoscopic views of the moon the distance between the place where the are, as already stated, taken in the oppo- earth stood when one view was taken, site stages of her librations, in order to and the place to which it would have been obtain greater differences of perspective removed (the moon being regarded as than would be obtained if taken in the or- fixed) to get the other." Now this would dinary way, where the separation of the all be very well provided the pictures two pictures corresponds with the average produced were for the use of giants distance between the eyes of adults. formed after the pattern proposed; for four and a half inches; for this, it is evi- they would see the stereoscopic image dent, would give no more spheroidal ap- under exactly the same circumstances pearance when viewed through stereo- that they would see the moon herself in scopic glasses than is obtained by viewing the natural way with their widely sepa her by unassisted vision, in which cases rated organs- no greater change being she aspears as a disk only, and not as a required in the direction of the optic axes sphere. With the same object that of in combining similar points of the two increasing the stereoscopic illusion (for perspectives than is required in viewing illusion only it is) it is not uncommon for corresponding points of the moon's surphotographers, when taking stereoscopic face by unassisted vision; but when these views of distant scenery, to avail them- exaggerated perspectives are presented in selves of the same means - that of un- a stereoscope to finite beings like ournaturally increasing the base of operations selves, the effect is magical indeed. -and thus effecting a much greater ap- Then do near points of the moon protrude parent separation of the various planes of in a most alarming manner, threatening distance than really exists. The effect to punch us in the eyes, the whole preof this is to distort the picture painfully, senting the appearance of an unusually advancing the middle distance boldly into elongated turkey's egg. Neither the the foreground - similar points being modest sixty-two yards of the immortal combined by the stereoscope much nearer Newton, nor the more pretentious seventy the eyes than if the pictures had been miles of Gussew would satisfy her claims taken in the normal way · whilst the now; nothing, indeed, less than several foreground is seen so near that one feels thousand miles would represent the difit in his power almost to reach it with his ference between her longest and shortest hand. Another and more objectionable diameters thus distorted. feature of this exaggerated perspective Indeed, for a very pretty scientific toy, effect is that all near objects are dwarfed ; with which De la Rue has supplied us, men become pigmies; imposing mansions this distortion of the moon's image is of are reduced to baby-houses, and lofty little moment. The curious are, no doubt, trees become insignificant bushes - the more pleased with it than if it appeared reason being that these objects, though in its true proportions - for figures genseen at points much nearer the eye, sub-erally are more admired the less nearly tend, nevertheless, the same visual angles they conform to nature's lines - but that as though seen at more distant points men of science, even great men, should points corresponding with their true posi- accept this delusive and distorted image tion in the landscape-for the photo- as a basis for serious investigation of the graphic representations of them are no figure of our satellite, conscious of the larger, and therefore appearing nearer, manner in which pictures producing this and yet subtending no greater visual an- image are taken—and, though forewarned, gles, the impression upon the mind is should not be forearmed-passeth my that of smaller objects. Every one, I understanding. It is but another instance think, who has viewed stereoscopic pic of the too great avidity with which worldtures of distant objects, combining middle renowned philosophers seize upon the distance and foreground, must have wit- most unreliable evidence from which to nessed this distortion. draw conclusions most important to sciNow let us apply this principle of op-ence, thus shaking the faith of those who tics to De la Rue's exaggerated stereo- have hitherto looked upon them as infalscopic perspectives of the moon, and what lible.

is the result?

-

Sir William Herschel says, in illustra

Germantown, 7 mo., 1874.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY BY
LITTELL & GAY, BOSTON.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.

For EIGHT DOLLARS, remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually forwarded for a year, free of postage. But we do not prepay postage on less than a year, nor when we have to pay commission for forwarding the money; nor when we club the LIVING Age with another periodical.

An extra copy of THE LIVING AGE is sent gratis to any one getting up a club of Five New Subscribers. Remittances should be made by bank draft or check, or by post-office money-order, if possible. If neither of these can be procured, the money should be sent in a registered letter. All postmasters are obliged to register letters when requested to do so. Drafts, checks and money-orders should be made payable to the order of LITTELL & GAY.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

BUNYAN AT BEDFORD.

BUNYAN the Pilgrim, dreamer, preacher,
Sinner and soldier, tinker and teacher,
For heresy scoffed, scourged, put in prison
The day of Tolerance yet un-risen
Who heard from the dark of his dungeon lair
The roar and turmoil of Vanity Fair,
And shadowed Man's pilgrimage forth with
passion

Heroic, in God-guided poet-fashion,

Has now his revenge: he looks down at you
In a ducally-commissioned Statue -

A right good artist gave life and go to it,
But his name 's Boehm, and Rhyme says no "

to it

66

And the dean of Westminster, frank and fluent,

Spoke Broad-Church truths of the Baptist

truant.

Punch likes the duke and he likes the dean, And the summer air in the summer green, When the Anabaptist poet and clown Was set up as the glory of Bedford town; But ducal and decanal folk should learn That to deal with the Past is of small con

cern;

That light for the day's life is each day's need,
That the Tinker-Teacher has sown his seed;
And we want our Bunyan to show the way
Through the Sloughs of Despond that are
round us to-day,

Our guide for straggling souls to wait,
And lift the latch of the wicket gate.

The Churches now debate and wrangle,
Strange doubts theology entangle;
Each sect to the other doth freedom grudge,
Archbishop asks ruling of a judge.
Why comes no pilgrim, with eyes of fire,
To tell us where pointeth minster spire,
To show, though critics may sneer and scoff,
The path to "The Land that is very far off?"
The People are weary of vestment vanities,
Of litigation about inanities,

And fain would listen, O Preacher and Peer,
To a voice like that of this Tinker-Seer;
Who guided the Pilgrim up, beyond

The Valley of Death and the Slough of Des

pond,

And Doubting Castle, and Giant Despair,
To those Delectable Mountains fair,
And over the River, and in at the Gate
Where for weary Pilgrims the Angels wait!

Punch.

From The British Quarterly Review.
FINGER RINGS.

ORNAMENTS of various kinds have

been worn from all ages, both by civil

ized and uncivilized nations, but it would

probably be impossible to point to any single ornament connected with which so much interest attaches as to the finger ring. It is of great antiquity, and during centuries of years has been associated with the most important concerns of life, both in matters of ceremony and

affairs of the heart. It has been used as a means of recognition, as a credential, and as a form of introduction which insured hospitality to the bearer of it. Royal edicts were promulgated through its medium, and power was transferred by its means.

|tiful demons to seduce men from allegiance to their human loves. The known fact that fish greedily swallow any glittering object thrown into the water has been taken advantage of by old story-tellers, have been found at the proper nick of who never tire of relating how lost rings

time in the stomach of a salmon or a mackerel.

In old times the motto of to-day that "nothing is so successful as success was by no means universally held, and. Polycrates the Samian was so uniformly fortunate that he himself began to fear that the gods did not love him. The wise Egyptian king Amasis persuaded him to propitiate Nemesis by making away with one of his most valued possessions, so he took the advice, and putting out to When Pharaoh committed the governsea, threw into the gaping wave his beaument of Egypt to Joseph he took his ring Theodorus, the son of Telecles, a native tiful emerald signet ring, engraved by from his finger, and gave it to the young of Samos. A fish of remarkable size Israelite as a token of the authority he bestowed upon him. So also when Ahas-snapped up the ring as it sank, and soon uerus agreed to Haman's cruel scheme of afterwards this fish being served up at killing the Jews in all the king's prov Amasis hearing of this last proof of Polythe king's table restored to him his ring. inces, he took the ring off his hand and gave it to Haman as his warrant, and crates' inevitable good luck solemnly reafterwards, when he commanded Morde-nounced his alliance. At last, however, cai to write letters annulling the former decree, he ordered them to be sealed with his ring.

A ring formerly marked the rank and authority of a man, and the king's ring was as important a part of the insignia of royalty as his sceptre or his crown.

fortune turned, and being taken prisoner by the Persians, Polycrates suffered death by impaling. In the life of Kentigern, related in the Acta Sanctorum, there is a legend of a recovered ring. A queen who had formed an improper attachment to a handsome soldier, gave him a ring which had previously been given her by

The form of the ring is emblematic of eternity and its materials of pricelessness. her lord. The king finding the soldier Lovers are united by a ring, and departed asleep with this ring on his hand, snatched friends are often kept in remembrance by it off and threw it into the river. He the same token of affection. All these afterwards went to his wife to demand it, and she sent secretly to the soldier, qualities sufficiently explain the reason why in old tales and legends the power of who of course could not return it. She the ring is a fruitful source of interest. now sends in great terror to ask the assistance of the holy Kentigern, who knew The celebrated Sanscrit drama which the whole affair before, but to help the queen he goes to the river Clyde, and having caught a salmon, takes from its stomach the missing ring, which he sends to her. She joyfully takes it to the king, who, thinking he had wronged her, swears he will be revenged upon her accusers, but she beseeches him to pardon them. As absolution for her sin, she confesses

Kalidasa wrote upon the beautiful Sakuntala turns upon Dushyanta's recognition of his wife by means of a ring which he had given her; and golden rings have frequently been used by fairies and beau

Rambles of an Archæologist among old Books and in old Places. By FREDERICK WILLIAM FAIRHOLT, F.S.A. London. Virtue and Co. 1871.

« ПредишнаНапред »