The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-03-09 00:00:00

Yarittito.

"Thesiger's last" has always been a quotable joke
amongst lawyers. Here is his very last: When aske&
what title he would choose on being made Lord Cluin-
cliellor, he is reported to have said, "Well, I have so-
often missed the peerage by an ace, that I think they
I ought to call me Baron Luck-uom 1" One of his very
best jokes was made after a judicial dinner at Mr. Jus-
tice Talfourd's, when, as the guests were searching for
their hats, some one asked him, " Thesiger, is this your
Castor?" and he replied "No, it's Pollock's" (Polloa.)
LOOK ON THE BRIGHT BIDE.—B was Old Isaak Wal-
ton who said, "Every misery that I miss is a new
mercy;" a saying worthy of the profoundest philoso-
pher. It is only too true that misfortunes come to us
on wings, but retire with a limping pace; and yet one
half the world are reedy to meet calamities half way,
and indirectly to welcome them. There is scarcely an
evil in life that we cannot double by pondering upon,
it; • scratch will thus become • serious wound' and a
slight illness even be made to end in death, by the
brooding apprehension of the sick; while, on the other
hand, a mind accustomed to look upon the bright aide
of all things, will repel the mildew and dampness of
care by its genial sunshine. A cheerful heart punts the
world as it sees it, like a sunny landscape; the morbid
mind depicts it like a sterile wilderness; and thus life
like the chameleon, takes its hues of light and shade
from the soul upon which it rests.
DESPAIR—Do not despond, or persist in looking is
hopelessly at the future. The catastrophe you dread
may never occur, or, if it does, with the grief will surely
come the strengthi to bear it. Nothing sso destructive-
to peace and happiness as the habit of meeting evil in
i,
which some people indulge. "Never cross the bridge
till you come to the river," is one of our wisest pro-
verbs. Time enough to mourn when sorrow really does
some; no need surely to' mount Dobbin to meet it."
Who could not say, if he would, that the troubles-
which have never happened have coat him more cars
and anxiety than all those which have actually befallen
him?
Hot]) ox.—Emerson says: Adhesiveness is a large
element of moms& Genius has glue on his feet, and
will take hold on a marble slab. Out of pine log a
Yankee whittles • judgeship, • seat in congress, • mis-
sion to England. The first part of economy is do your
peculiar work; the second is to do it by system.
EARLY RlSlNG.—Sydney Smith gives this good ad-
vice, but whether he sated on it or not is quite another
thing; "Rise early in the morning, not only to avoid
self-reproach, but to make the most of the little life
that remains; not only to save the hours lost in sleep,
but to avoid that Logone which is spread over mind
and body for the whole of that day in which you have
lain late in bed."

Why is an excess of sleep injurious—Be,,use the
brain is brought into • condition unfavourable to its
healthy functions, and favourable to apoplexy, determi-
nation of blood to the head, and other diseases of the
brain. Dr. Thompson says, "It is extremely difficult
to estimate the quantity of sleep best adapted to pre-
serve health, much depends on the oonstittition of the
individual, and as much more on the Dater' of sleep
enjoyed. From six to eight houn may be regarded an
the best proportion for a healthy adult; but I onee
personally knew an old man who lived to the age of ens
hundred and eight, and who informed me that he had
rarely exceeded four hours' sleep inenight at any period,
of his life." The late Duke of Weillngten's motto erase
very good one—" Let your first turn in bed in the
morning be a tern ow."— The Reason Why.
CHARLES SWAIN.-Of all our song writers there is
none more loveable, none more musical thee Charles.
Swain. There is life in his verse, and an much soul,
that excellent mechanism is the Meat vaistall• quality.
He never tries to tinker DRUM, never decks her out fll
spangled patches of harlequinade, for he has felt, what
every true poet feels, how utterly ridionlous it is to at-
tempt to " paint the lily." We should as soon think of
catching the thrush by walking openly up to it and
strewing salt upon its chlldren are told they may
do-as to deooy Charles Swain from his natural path by
showing him the acrobatic feats of some of his brother
rhymers. He is the last man in the world who would
take the trouble to climb the steep ascent of Parnassus,
up to its sacred top, to the great danger of his best
clothes and his more precious limbs, for no other reason
than to stand upon his head in order to astonish the
gods ! Considering the mean character of our modern
oompositions, Charles Swain may be considered a valu-
able metrical reformer. His indirect influenee is as
great as the direct power of his unaffected style. Be his
admirers few or many—and we believe they are many_
each is • living protest against spastic effort. In the
throes of his genius, Alexander Smith attracted • host of
sympathisers, who think they imitate his passionate
eloquence when they indulge in sonorous spluttering'.
We have no reason to alter our opinion of Alexander
Smith, and it is well known to our readers. It is that a
man of decided genius has committed prominent ex-
cesses, which may be forgiven, but not forgotten, for the
Bake of his manifold and wondrous beauties. If so much
, exquisite poetry can be obtained at the price of such
' fermenting leaven, by all means let us have both rather
than neither. It is when the excesses arise without the
genius—as is the case with imitators in general—that the
writings of Charles Swain become valuable as • check to
frothy torrents, and a guide to lead back the mind to
Saxon simplicity.—The
LUNAR ORIGIN OP MSTRORITRII.-0110 Of the most
plausible theories in regard to the origin of meteorites
which is now held by scientific men is, that they are
masses thrown off with great force from the moon, re-
volving around that body until, in the great eccentricity
of their orbits, these mamas fall within the circle of our
atmosphere--once within which, and with velocity
greatly retarded, our earth becomes their cent'''. One
twentieth of the surface of the moon is found to be
volcanic in its structure and character ; and if the
craters, as revealed by the telescope, are only in the
usual proportion to the height and depth of the vol-
canoes, there need be no doubt that they have sufficient
ejecting force to heel large maws of velour° matter to
immense diiptraoes,