The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-12-04 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

The New Year's Gift, and Juvenile Souvenir. Edited
by Mrs. ALARIC WATTS. London: Whittaker and
Co.

The amiable and accomplished author of the above an-
nual has this season produced by far the most elegant
and interesting of New Year's Gifts for yoting persons.
The engravings are of a very superior order, and the
tales and rhymes are admirably adapted to the class of
readers to which the book is dedicated. It is altogether
a chaste and beautiful volume. We select one of the
shortest stories as a specimen :
THE ENIGMATICAL GARDEN.
Once upon a time,—that time was the evening. of a summer's
day,—a large party of little people set out to visit "the enig-
matical garden." This garden belonged to a whimsical old
gentleman; who was fond of puzzling and pleasing. young peo-
ple; he made his garden renowned by an enigmatical descrip-
tion of his flowers.
"Walk in, young folk," he exclaimed, as they approached
the gate on which he was leaning—" walk in and see my pretty
things, mine is the most wonderful garden in England
The first gliMpse certainly pres'ented nothing wonderful.
Wild flowers and foreign flowers were growing together in rich
profusion, but without any arrangement. The eccentric old
man handed them the following catalogue of his flowers, and
was much pleased when they discovered, by his ingenious de-
vices, the names of their old acquaintances :
CATALOGUS OF FLOWERS IN THE ENIGMATICAL GARDEN.*

There's a Roman emp'ror in his pride,
With the greatest virtue by his side,
The flower that is part of a mouse,
With another that covers a house.

Here's the flow'r that falls from the sky,
And the tlow'r on which we can lie,
And another will shoot a man dead,
And another will cover his bead.

3.
Of this liow'r of the field you'can make a good dish,
And wild in the woods you may find afish;
Au industrious fiow'r, the vice of a city,
Now form, amongst others, a group that is pretty.

Here's an ill temper'd flow'r, and one that is old,
And one that is money that cannot be told;
A tiuw'r is there, that's a heathen god,
In another behold a miraculous rod.

Of a flower to get up by we've often heard,
And a flower there is, that belongs to a bird;
A sweet smelling flow'r is the twelfth of a year,
There's a sound that to hounds and to huntsmen is dear.

A flower that is placed in a bed-room when dark,
And another that's warm, often grows in a park;
A flower you may meet, that will give you a blow,
Aud one that will cheer you when wretched and low.

There's herbage that grows on a fam'd Grecian mount,
And one of money, th' exhaustable fount;
Behold, whilst you may, the fair star of the east,
Yet placed by its side ►s a part of a beast.

See the ornament worn by the king's son and heir,
And one we conceive that an angel more fair
On a pretty blue flower to the skies we may climb,
And one that will clothe us in cold winter time.

A wondrous pleasure is a fragrant flower,
Aud one that to heal has a wondrous power;
A flower grows wild, that a monster can bite,
And another which lights us so brightly at night.
10.
Here, would you be gay, is a flower that dances,
And here is another which gracefully prances,
There's a part of a dog—of a serpent a part;
A small part of a cow, and relief to a heart.
Here ended the catalogue, which quite occupied the party in
solving, during the intervals of taking strawberries and cream,
a luxury provided for visitors by the old gardener, who was
pleased to hear the young people all acknowledge it was a de-
lightful garden, both for seeing, and smelling, and tasting, and
thinking.

The following are the names to the first verse; the solu-
tion of the rest I leave to the sagacity of my young readers:—
Valerian, Charity, Mouse-ear, Wood-roof.

JOHNSONIANA.

The following is Dr. Parr's opinion of Dr. Johnson's
•definition of Whig and tory. Parr was a stanch whit, but
no radical. The paSsage is from the last volume of
Johnsoniana, a continuation of Boswell's Johnson ;
" WHIG AND TORY.
_

" To almost every part of Johnson's distinction of a whig and
,tort'," says Dr. Parr, " I assent; there is no part which does
mot contain judicious remarks and useful information. A wise
ter), and a wise whig,' he says, will, I believe, agree. Their
principles are the same, though their modes of thinking are
different. A high tory makes government unintelligible ; it is
lost in the clouds. A v,olent whig makes it impracticable: he
is for allowing so much liberty to every man, that there is not
power eneugh to govern any man. The prejudice of the tory
tsfor establishment; the prejudice of the whig is for innovation.
A tory does not wish to give more real power to ,government, hut
'that government should have more reverence. Then they differ
as to the church. The tory is not for giving more legal power to
•
the clergy, but wishes they should have a considerable influence
founded on the opinion of mankind : the whig is for limiting and
watching them with a narrow jealousy.' "
The next extract, respecting Ban:low and Perkins's
brewery, is from the eighth volume of Mr. Murray's new
edition of Beszvell's Johnson. The facts, which are
striking, may be depended on. They prove abundantly
'that the doctor was no bad prophet ; for. since the year
1773, .it will be seen that this highly honourable esta-
blishment has increased tenfold :
" Lord Lucan tells a very good story, which, if not precisely
exact, is certainly characteristical—that when the sale of
Thrale's brewery was going forward, Johnson appeared bustling
about, with an inkhorn and pen in his button-hole, like an ex-
ciseman; and on being asked what be really considered to be
the value of the property which was to be disposed of, answered,
" We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the
potentiality of yrounny rich beyond the dreams of avarice.' "*

"'s The brewery was sold by Dr. Johnson and his brother
executor to Messrs. Barclay, Perkins, and Co., for £135,000.
While on his tour to the Hebrides, in 1773, Johnson mentioned
that Thrale paid £20,000 a-year to the revenue, and that he
had four vats, each of which held 1600 barrels, above 1000 hogs-
heads.' The establishment is now the largest of its kind in the
world. The buildings extend over ten acres, and the machinery
includes two steam-engines. The store-cellars contain 126 vats,
varying in their contents from 4000 barrels down to 500. About
160 horses are employed in conveying beer to different parts of
London. The quantity brewed in 1826 was 380,180 barrels,
upon which a duty of 10s. the barrel, or £180,090 was paid to
the revenue; and, in the last year, the malt consumed exceeded
100,000 quarters.-18-35."

[Enter Job Wig.)
Barrister.—Pray, do you pay over the money after deduction
of expenses fur repairs ?
do.
Barrister.—Then you are a conduit pipe, and cannot vote.
Were it otherwise the country might ILI swamped by a quantity
of mere water pipes. I erase your name. (General laughter.)
[Witness presents a printed copy of a notice. the sig-
nature to the original of which was written by the ob-
jector.]
Liberal Agent.—(looking ferociously at witness.)—Will you
swear that you served an exact copy of the notice in your
hand?—Mind you are on your oath. _

Conservative Agent.—r suppose you mean with the excep-
tion of the signature, which was written.
Liberal Agent.—This is a most indecent interference.
Barrister.—Pray, sir, are you a barrister ?
Liberal Agent.—No, I am under the bar.
Second Liberal Agent—(with excitement.)--On behalf of
the Humbug Association, sir, I rise—
Barrister.—Sit down, sir, what have I to do with your silly
association.

Third Liberal Agent. —May I be permitted with great defe-
rence to submit to this honourable court—

Barrister —Who are you, sir ? Have you any authority to
appear?
[Third Liberal Agent looks perfectly bewildered.]
Fourth Liberal Agent.—The gentleman suggests as amient
curia.

Barrister.—Pray, sir, sit down ; I shall be pestered to death
—I don't want such friends. The country ought to know how
shamefully my important time is wasted. I will take care that
a bill is brought into parliament about this. The service is
good, and I recommend you to borrow the witness to prove the
service of your own notices, which you manage in a very bung-
ling manner.
[Enter Isaac Spoonbill.]
Barrister.—pray, young gentleman, what is the qualification
in respect of which you seek to exercise the elective franchise
in the Dark Division of the County of Moonshine?
Spoonbill.—(Looks perfectly confused.)
Conservative Agent.—Have you claimed to vote as executor
of a house in Ramsgate ?
Spoonbill.--Yes; me and my mother.
Barrister.—Who collects the rents?

Spoonbill.—My mother.
Barrister.—Who directs the repairs?
Spoonbill.—My mother.
•
Barrister.—Who applies the money?
Spoonbill.-41y mother.
Barrister—(hastily.)—Who, in fact, can do anything with
the property ?
Spoonbill.—My mother.
Liberal Agent.—l submit this is a case of principal and
agent, and that the maxim "quifacit per alium facia per se," is
applicable.
Barrister.—Have both sides finished?
(No answer.)

Barrister.—This young gentleman, whose courteous conduct
merits my notice, appears before this court to prove his quali-
fication to vote for (looking at the list) a freehold house in
Ramsgate. lam clearly of opinion that he cannot be said to
possess the capacity to vote under the Great Constitutional
Charter. By.his own admission, the management of the pro-
perty, and the disposal of every thing arising from or apper-
taining to it,'are vested in his mother. The propriety of plac-
ing the power in the mother's hands to me seems unquestion-
able; and I advise the young gentleman to return home by the
same way "as the crow flies," (if [may use a popular expres-
sion,) and again seek protection under the fostering care of his
mother. No evidence has been adduced to show that the
mother is the agent of the young gentleman; therefore, I feel
it to be a duty which I owe to my country, and to the office
with which I ain dignified, to erase the name of Isaac Spoon-
bill from the list of voters for the Dark Division of the County
of Moonshine.

lst Barrister's Court—[Enter Jerry Sneak.]
Barrister.—l perceive, sir, you claim as a trustee, in actual
receipt of rents and profits of a freehold building in Discord-
lane.

Stranger.—l am not Mr. Sneak, but I appear for him; I
heard him say he was a trustee.
Conservative Agent.—This is not evidence.
Barrister.—l do not think that we ought to be so strict in
evidence.

Couservative Agent.—Have you the trust deed P
Barrister.-1 would rather not see deeds; state the effect of
them.

Stranger.—Mr. Sneak and his co-trustees hold the property
upon trust, to receive the rents, and do what they please with
the premises.
Conservative Agent.—A very convenient trust.
Barrister.—On this case there can be no doubt, for the trus-
tees not only receive the rents, but have absolute control over
the property. Mr. Sneak, your's is a very good vote.
2d Barrister's Court.—[Enter Ralph Bold.]
Barrister.—How do you claim ?
Bold.—As a trustee, together with Jerry Sneak and twenty
others, of a freehold building in Discord-lane.
Barrister.—What are the trusts upon which you hold ?
Bold.—We hold upon trust to receive the rents, and do what
we like with them, and even with the property itself.
Barrister.—Do you receive the rents?
Buld.—Yes, by our agent.
Barrister.—Do you give directions as to repairs and altera-
tions?

Bold.—Yes, by our agent.
Conservative Agent.—As you appear to know the trust deeds
well, can you tell me whether any one controls the trustees?
Bold.—l don't recollect.

Conservative Agent.— How long is it since you read the
deed ?

Bold.—Twenty years.
Conservative Agent.—Where is your trust deed?
Bold.—The solicitor of the trustees has the care of it.
Barrister.—Really this is shameful; unless the deed be im-
mediately produced I will strike your name out.
Bold.—(After much hesitation, takes the deed out of his
pocket)— I beg your pardon, sir, but I find that I have the deed
with me.

Barrister—(reads the deed.)—lt appears by this deed that
the claimants are merely dry trustees. They have attempted
to practise an itn.position upoitme. Sir, your name is struck out.

Barrister.—l bold that unproductive land may give a vote.'
Conservative Agent.—Mr. has just decided the reverse.
Liberal Agent.—l submit it is highly derogatory from the
di'nity of this court to mention whit has been done elsewhere.
Barrister—(smiling.)—l think so. I differ from my col-
leagues on this point as well as on every other.

Barrister.--,Stand forward Timothy Witless. What do you
claim for ?

Witless.—A fifth of a freehold building, (alias a stye.)
Liberal Agent.—Loot: at me, my friend, have you not been
abroad lately ?
Witless.—What do you mean, impudence ?
Liberal Agent.—On your oath; sir, have you or have you not
been transported twice?
Witless.—Oh! (scratching his head.)
Conservative Agent.—Sir, I object to this examination. It
rests with the other side to shew the personal disqualification of
the gentleman. Besides .t is incumbent on them imprimis, to
spew OFFICE FOUND.

Liberal Agent.—(Sotto voce,) office found!
[All parties look amazed.]
Barrisitr,—(After considerable hesitation,) I hold the vote
to be good. Foolish people must not, however, be misled by
idle barristers, who scrape together from newspapers and else-
where, what they consider to be decisions, and publish them in
an omnium-gatherum book. There is no case like this except
in Blackstone's Commentaries. Oh, dear! let me have Black-
stone's Commentaries. Voter, in order that you may under-
stand it, 1 may tell you that myself and colleagues over a fa-
miliar illustration of " office found."